‘Consequences will follow’: Marco Rubio breaks down after Europe rejects him, and he wasn’t ready for a dose of reality
In choppy waters.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio braced for some tough questions from European leaders at the G7 summit, all while criticizing nations unwilling to fully back the US-Israeli war on Iran. This comes as top diplomats showed significant divisions with the United States over the ongoing Iran war, despite agreeing on a call for an immediate halt to attacks against civilians and urging the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.
Rubio had already expressed the US administration’s increasing frustration with European allies before even landing in France for the summit. Speaking on Thursday, March 26, at Joint Base Andrews, he directly referenced European leaders who claimed the war on Iran wasn’t “Europe’s war.”
According to Euro News, Rubio didn’t pull any punches, firing back by saying, “Ukraine is not America’s war, and yet we’ve contributed more to that fight than any other country.” He clarified that US policy ultimately serves domestic priorities, adding, “I work for the people of the United States.”
He clearly wasn’t prepared for the pushback from his European counterparts
These remarks landed right as European officials were gearing up to challenge Washington over reported Russian support for Iran during the conflict. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas argued that the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine are “very much interlinked,” even alleging that Russia was helping Iran “with intelligence to target Americans, to kill Americans.” Kallas suggested that if the US wanted Iran’s attacks to stop, it needed to put pressure on Moscow.
Making Rubio’s diplomatic mission even tougher, President Donald Trump had just lobbed his latest round of insults at other NATO countries. He repeatedly voiced his disappointment, calling the alliance “small potatoes” for “doing absolutely nothing” to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He even warned as recently as last week that the US would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if the waterway wasn’t reopened within 48 hours, though he did extend that deadline until April 6.
Post the meeting, Rubio seemed to dial down while pushing for a long-term solution
Rubio actually skipped the first day of the G7 meeting, which took place in a rather swanky 12th-century abbey converted into a five-star hotel outside Paris, due to commitments at the White House. When he did join his counterparts, he struck a somewhat softer tone after the discussions, focusing on a longer-term message. He talked about seeking international cooperation for a plan to keep the strait open after hostilities conclude.
He cautioned that Iran might try to set up a toll on the waterway, where a massive 20% of the world’s oil usually passes. This potential act, he said, “could cause significant economic damage to many nations around the globe.”
He called any such restriction “illegal,” “unacceptable,” and “dangerous to the world,” stressing that “it’s important that the world have a plan.” Rubio also seemed to downplay the idea of a widening conflict, suggesting the US could achieve its objectives without needing ground troops.
Other European leaders echoed the sentiment of avoiding direct involvement while still seeking a resolution to the critical issue of the strait. France’s Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin reiterated, “This war is not our war, it’s important to recall that,” though France is open to taking part in a maritime defense mission once the conflict is over.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also weighed in, stating she wanted “to see a swift resolution that reaches regional stability and security and opens the Strait of Hormuz,” adding that Iran “cannot hold the global economy hostage.”
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
