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US engaged in India-Pakistan conflict, Trump prioritised peacemaking: Marco Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump made peacemaking a priority, citing US engagement in India-Pakistan and other global conflicts.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the United States has remained actively engaged in mediating global conflicts, including between India and Pakistan, asserting that President Donald Trump made peacemaking a central priority of his foreign policy.
Addressing a press conference, Rubio highlighted Washington’s diplomatic involvement across multiple regions, crediting Trump with efforts to defuse tensions and prevent escalation in several conflict zones. He reiterated Trump’s earlier claim that the US played a role in stopping the India-Pakistan conflict.
“We remain engaged around the world, including in conflicts that may not always be central to everyday life in America,” Rubio said. “But the President has made it a priority to be a peacemaker. And so you’ve seen us engaged — whether it’s Russia and Ukraine, or India and Pakistan, or Thailand and Cambodia, which remains an ongoing challenge, or the tragedy unfolding in Sudan and the potential instability in South Sudan.”
Rubio said the US continually looks for opportunities to serve as a mediator to prevent wars or bring ongoing conflicts to an end, though he acknowledged that reaching agreements is only the first step. “In many cases, you can get people to the table and agree, but the real challenge lies in implementation,” he added.
On domestic policy, Rubio defended the Trump administration’s strict immigration stance, describing it as a sovereign right aimed at protecting national security. He said while the US remains among the world’s most generous nations, it has a responsibility to verify who enters the country and ensure migrants do not place undue strain on social support systems.
Turning to Latin America, Rubio underscored Trump’s focus on Venezuela, accusing President Nicolás Maduro’s government of colluding with narcotraffickers. He described transnational criminal organisations involved in drug trafficking as the most serious threat to US security in the Western Hemisphere, adding that Venezuela’s leadership has consistently failed to cooperate in combating these groups.
On the Middle East, Rubio stressed that lasting peace would not be possible unless Hamas is disarmed. He warned that stability and economic investment in Gaza would remain elusive if Hamas retained the ability to threaten or attack Israel, raising the prospect of recurring conflict.
Rubio also said the United States was uniquely positioned to mediate the Russia-Ukraine war, arguing that Washington was the only actor capable of engaging both sides in meaningful dialogue. While acknowledging that the conflict was not America’s war, he said US involvement was driven by a broader interest in preventing prolonged instability.
“The core principle of our foreign policy must be our national interest,” Rubio said. “We support policies that make America safer, stronger or more prosperous — ideally all three.”
