The Trump administration’s dedication to international peacekeeping has been emphasized by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has positioned the US as a key mediator in a number of international disputes.
Speaking at a press conference on December 20, 2025, in Washington, DC, Rubio discussed engagements in a variety of hotspots, including tensions in Sudan and South Sudan and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
He explicitly gave President Donald Trump credit for averting a possible conflict between India and Pakistan, a remark that Trump has already stated. Rubio emphasized the US role in bringing parties to the bargaining table, pointing out that the President has prioritized diplomacy to prevent wars and enable resolutions.
“We remain engaged around the world, including in conflicts that perhaps are not central to everyday life in America,” Rubio said. He cited instances when the US looks for ways to mediate and prevent more conflict, including the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, India and Pakistan, Thailand and Cambodia, and the developing problems in Sudan and South Sudan.
Rubio pointed to the crucial implementation stage while acknowledging the difficulties that go beyond initial agreements. This tactic is part of a larger plan to actively participate in less well-known disputes in order to promote stability and stop them from getting worse.
Moving on to domestic issues, Rubio said that the administration’s strict immigration laws were a fundamental requirement for national security. He reaffirmed that the US has the authority to confirm identities and make sure immigrants don’t put too much strain on social safety nets.
“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,” said Rubio. This position upholds America’s legacy of openness under restricted circumstances while placing a high priority on safety.
Rubio highlighted Venezuela’s involvement in drug trafficking as the region’s biggest threat on the Western Hemisphere front. He applauded Trump’s efforts, which had hitherto gone unchecked, against the Maduro regime’s connections to drug cartels and organizations like Tren de Aragua.
“Until US President Donald Trump started doing something about these narcotrafficking links, nobody disputed that Maduro and his regime were in cahoots with narcotraffickers,” Rubio said. The main threat, according to him, is transnational criminal organizations focused on drugs, which are made worse by Venezuela’s lack of collaboration.
Rubio emphasized that disarming Hamas is essential to achieving long-term peace in the Middle East and removing Israel’s dangers. He cautioned that ongoing threats will discourage investment in Gaza and prolong violent cycles.
“Peace is what everyone wants… You won’t have peace if Hamas is ever able to threaten or attack Israel in the future, Rubio noted. He maintained that without guaranteed security, reconstruction initiatives would fail.
Rubio presented the US as the only nation that could successfully engage with Russia and Ukraine. “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,” he said.
Rubio emphasized that the advancement of US national interests is at the heart of our foreign policy. Interventions and diplomatic efforts must be guided by policies that improve America’s security, power, or prosperity—ideally all three.
Rubio’s comments depict an active US diplomacy under Trump that combines strong defenses of sovereignty on immigration and counter-narcotics with mediation in hot-button issues like Indo-Pak tensions. In the midst of international unpredictability, this comprehensive strategy represents a practical turn toward results that directly support American strategic interests.
