ORLANDO, Fla. — Only Channel 9 spoke one-on-one with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio about Russia’s endgame and what’s unfolding in Ukraine.

Rubio was on stage at 9 a.m. Friday at the CPAC 2022 conference in Orlando.

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Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, it was 4 p.m. in Ukraine.

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Rubio called the people of Ukraine inspiring even as they continue to face an ongoing invasion.

For weeks, the Russian army has been massing on the Ukrainian border, and this week, they invaded.

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Photos: Russian forces push toward Kyiv, Ukraine Natali Sevriukova reacts next to her house following a rocket attack the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

“Putin’s endgame first and foremost at every turn is to try and recreate, not the Soviet Union, but the Russian empire,” Rubio said.

Rubio, who sits on the Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committees, called this move by Vladimir Putin and Russia part of a long-term plan.

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“He views the 90s as a decade of humiliation for Russia,” Rubio said. “He believes himself to be the leader that will restore Russia as a great power.”

That means taking Ukraine by force, gaining access to its ports and vast fields of natural gas resources.

Not a political move, but one of attempting to reassert Russia’s influence on the national stage.

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“Not sure he wants to return to the communist era from an economic standpoint because then you don’t have oligarchs and great wealth accumulation,” Rubio said. “But he wants Russia to be a great global power, and he believes great global powers have spheres of influence and satellite states. And that’s what he intends to do, and Ukraine is a key component of it.”

See more in the video above.

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