Washington DC [US], December 20 : US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasised the country's role as a peacemaker, highlighting its engagement in various global conflicts, including India-Pakistan, Russia-Ukraine, and Sudan.
Rubio credited President Donald Trump for stopping the India-Pakistan conflict, a claim previously made by Trump.
In a press conference, Marco Rubio highlighted the US's efforts to promote peace globally, citing Trump's involvement in resolving conflicts like India-Pakistan and Russia-Ukraine.
"We remain engaged around the world, including in conflicts that perhaps are not central to everyday life in America. But the president has made it a priority to be a peacemaker. And so you've seen us engaged, whether it's Russia, Ukraine, or India and Pakistan, or Thailand and Cambodia, which is an ongoing challenge, or the tragedy we see now in Sudan, or the potential for further strife in South Sudan, and that's falling apart. We are always looking for opportunities, if possible, to serve as mediators that help prevent war or end conflicts. And obviously, in many of these cases, you can get people to the table and agree, and then there's the implementation process," he said.
Rubio defended the Trump administration's strict immigration policies, stating it's a sovereign decision to ensure the country's safety and security.
"The US remains one of the most generous countries in the world...but we do have a right, like every sovereign country does, to know who you are...We have a right to make sure you're not going to come to this country and impose a burden on our social safety network," he said.
He also pointed out Trump's focus on Venezuela's drug trafficking, calling it a significant threat to the US.
"Until US President Donald Trump started doing something about these narcotrafficking links, nobody disputed that Maduro and his regime were in cahoots with narcotraffickers not to mention the fact that they unleashed Tren de Aragua... That's what Trump has been focused on," he said.
"The single most serious threat to the United States from the Western Hemisphere is from transnational terrorist criminal groups, primarily focused on narcotrafficking... There's one place that doesn't cooperate and it's the illegitimate regime in Venezuela," added Rubio.
He emphasised the need for Hamas to be disarmed for Middle East peace and the US's role in mediating international conflicts, prioritising national interests, and stressed that peace won't prevail if Hamas attack Israel.
"Everyone wants peace... If Hamas is ever in a position in the future that they can threaten or attack Israel, you're not gonna have peace. You're not gonna convince anyone to invest money in Gaza if they believe another war is going to happen in 2-3 years," said Rubio.
He emphasised the US's unique position to mediate the Russia-Ukraine war, prioritising national interests in its foreign policy.
Rubio said, "It's not our war... but there's only one entity on Earth that can actually talk to both sides and figure out whether there's a way to end this war peacefully, and that's the United States."
Rubio said that US foreign policy was aimed at serving its national interests.
"The core principle behind our foreign policy needs to be our national interests... We are in favour of foreign policies that will make America safer, or stronger, or more prosperous hopefully all three, but at least one of those," he said.
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