Turning to the situation with Qatar, Rubio acknowledged the recent drone incursions into Poland and Romania, describing them as “far from the front lines” and largely designed to “weaken one another.” He stated that the incursions do not have an immediate impact on the conflict in Gaza but represent an escalation of tensions in the region. “It’s an example of why this war the President thinks needs to end,” he said. “Wars generally will escalate. They’ll actually get worse, not better, if they continue on the track their on, especially a protracted war like this one which – given that both sides are deeply dug in.”
The Secretary also addressed the escalating problem of political violence within the United States, referencing the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA. “What’s most stunning about Charlie and what happened to him—look, for a lot of people in the White House, myself included, this wasn’t just a political assassination. It was the assassination of someone we knew personally, someone we’ve gotten to know, someone many of us have worked with in the past who we knew as a person, not just as a figure,” Rubio said. “It doesn’t make it any less tragic, obviously, but it makes it even sadder.” He expressed concern about the potential for this violence to have a chilling effect on political debate and vowed to take steps to prevent further incidents.
Rubio confirmed the U.S. government’s continued investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drone incursions and stated that the U.S. is actively working with its allies, including Poland and Romania, to bolster their defenses. He also outlined efforts to strengthen border security and combat drug trafficking, emphasizing the need to disrupt the networks responsible for bringing narcotics into the United States.
Regarding relations with Qatar, the Secretary stressed the importance of restoring a constructive dialogue, highlighting the U.S. military’s ongoing cooperation with the country on various security initiatives. “We understand they’re not happy about what happened,” he acknowledged, “but regardless of that, we still have Hamas, we still have hostages, and we still have a war. And all those things still have to be dealt with, and we are hopeful that Qatar and all of our Gulf partners will continue to add something constructive to bringing this alternate—it’s in their interest that this war end as well.”
Finally, Secretary Rubio reiterated the U.S. government’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, stating that the U.S. will continue to provide military and economic assistance to Kyiv. “It’s one of the reasons why the President has said he wants this war to end. This war should end,” he said. “And we’ll continue to make sure that the people of Ukraine can defend themselves against Vladimir Putin’s aggression.”
The Secretary concluded by urging a renewed focus on diplomacy and a commitment to finding a sustainable solution to the conflict in Gaza. “We need to get everyone to stay focused on what happens moving forward, not just only focused on what’s already happened with – what happened last week in Doha. We want everybody focused on what comes next because we still have these problems we have to solve.”