The following transcript represents a condensed and formatted version of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s prepared remarks and subsequent impromptu responses during a recent interview, offering a critical perspective on global geopolitical challenges, particularly concerning the United Nations’ effectiveness and the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. The interview, conducted in anticipation of Secretary Rubio’s address at the United Nations General Assembly, highlighted a distinctly pragmatic and, at times, skeptical outlook on international diplomacy and the role of multilateral institutions.
Secretary Rubio’s central argument revolves around the perceived dysfunction of the United Nations, arguing that it has largely failed to address critical global crises and is increasingly driven by political maneuvering rather than genuine efforts to promote stability. He framed the UN’s current state as “a place where once a year a bunch of people meet and give speeches and write out a bunch of letters and statements, but not a lot of good, important action is happening.” This sentiment was repeatedly underscored throughout the interview.
Specifically, Secretary Rubio addressed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, stating, “If you look at what’s happening in Russia and Ukraine, you have a war going on there. It’s the President that’s been carrying the burden of trying to bring it to an end. The UN is playing no role. If you look at what’s happening in Gaza with Hamas and everything that’s happened there with Israel taking them on, what role is the UN playing? None.” He attributed the perceived inaction to a broader trend of countries prioritizing domestic political concerns over international stability. “These people go out and say what they want to say, but at the end of the day when they want something done, they come – they want to come to the White House. President Erdogan is coming to the White House this week to meet with the President. They all come to the White House, they all want President Trump to fix it. He is the indispensable leader in the world right now.”
The interview also examined the situation in Gaza, framing it as a critical test of global leadership. “They don’t want to send troops to take Hamas out. They’re scared of it,” Rubio stated bluntly. “The President has been clear, and that is that we haven’t seen the letter… Hamas didn’t send a letter to France. Hamas didn’t send a letter to any of these countries. Hamas apparently, supposedly, sent the letter to President Trump. Because everyone knows – even an evil group like Hamas – that he is the only one with the power and the influence to make something happen.” He criticized the UN’s approach as lacking decisive action and argued for a more forceful response to dismantle Hamas, emphasizing the urgency of securing the release of the hostages.
The conversation extended to the role of NATO and the strategic implications of the conflict. “When it comes to NATO, we’re going to defend every inch of it,” Rubio asserted. “If a drone comes in over your airspace, you shoot it down. That happened. We’ve seen flights – and this is not new, by the way. This has happened – maybe not at the frequency we’ve seen, but a Russian jet or a Russian bomber goes into your defense zone. You send your planes up there to intercept it.” He highlighted the need for a unified and robust transatlantic alliance, noting the recent NATO summit as a positive step despite some member states’ reluctance to fully commit. “At the end of the day, that’s what it is. So that issue is what it is. ”
Further discussion centered on the perceived challenges of managing refugee flows and the shifting geopolitical landscape. Addressing questions about European countries’ reluctance to accept refugees from Gaza, Rubio acknowledged the complexity of the issue, stating, “They say: Well, we can’t take any more people, we already have too many. They say, frankly, what any country should say, which is – in fact, I think if they – they won’t say it publicly. But they’ll say it privately. And not just these countries in Europe. I mean, the countries in the Middle East. Egypt. They don’t want to open their borders. Look, it goes back to the migratory debates we’ve had in this own country. Every country in the world thinks open borders is crazy. Egypt does not have open borders; Jordan does not have open borders; Europe does, or has had for a long time. But – and you know what? At the end of the day, that’s what it is.”
Finally, Secretary Rubio underscored the importance of a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to foreign policy, dismissing the notion of relying solely on multilateral institutions. “Look, America is still the greatest country in the world. We are the only ones that can fix things. The President has expressed his deep disappointment about it, and he knows what his options are at some point here to impose additional costs, but he’s also said that before we do that, Europe needs to do it. They’re demanding all these things of us, and yet you have countries in Europe still buying massive amounts of oil and natural gas from Russia and funding and fueling the Russian aggression campaign. So I think it’s important for them to step up.”
The interview concluded with Secretary Rubio reiterating the administration’s commitment to addressing global challenges through decisive action, particularly through President Trump’s leadership. “Look, America is still the greatest country in the world. We are the only ones that can fix things. The President has expressed his deep disappointment about it, and he knows what his options are at some point here to impose additional costs, but he’s also said that before we do that, Europe needs to do it. They’re demanding all these things of us, and yet you have countries in Europe still buying massive amounts of oil and natural gas from Russia and funding and fueling the Russian aggression campaign. So I think it’s important for them to step up.”
Key terms: UNGA80, United Nations (UN), Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Russia-Ukraine War, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Hostage Crisis, Foreign Policy, Multilateral Institutions.
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Title: Rubio’s Stark Assessment: Navigating Global Instability and the UN’s Diminishing Role