What has Marco Rubio said about China, Iran, Israel and Ukraine?

President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Sen. Marco Rubio, perhaps the world’s most important diplomat, as secretary of state could change the game for the United States in its relations with both adversaries and allies. .

Rubio, who is considered a foreign policy hawk, is fiercely critical of China and Iran, considered the United States’ biggest economic and geopolitical adversaries, but says war with Russia is inevitable. He agrees with President Trump’s position and has an ambiguous stance on continued support for Ukraine. Until the end.

Rubio, who serves as vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, officially became secretary of state late Wednesday when President Trump appointed him to the White House top team following his decisive victory in last week’s election. Nominated.

“He will be a strong advocate for our country, a true friend to our allies, and a fearless warrior who will never bow down to our enemies.” President Trump said this in a statement on his platform, Truth Social.

Mr. Rubio’s nomination, along with his hard-line positions on foreign policy issues and criticism of America’s rivals, comes as President Trump’s “America First” policy threatens to push the world’s most powerful economy back from the world stage. This may allay concerns among US allies that this may be the case.

Prior to his nomination, Rubio told CNN after Trump’s election victory that the United States was entering an “era of pragmatic foreign policy.”

“The world is changing rapidly. Adversaries such as North Korea, Iran, China and Russia are coming together. [and] “It’s becoming more and more collaborative. We’re going to have to be very pragmatic and smart about how we invest and operate overseas,” Rubio said.

The relationship between Mr. Trump and Mr. Rubio was not always easy. The two ran for president in 2016, and clashed violently when they were campaigning for the Republican nomination, with Trump describing Rubio as “little Marco,” and Rubio saying he was Trump’s favorite. He made fun of her for having “small hands.”

At the time, Rubio criticized President Trump’s isolationist foreign policy stance. In 2016, he said, “A world without America’s involvement is a world that none of us want to live in,” and echoed President Trump’s belief that the United States is giving more than it takes from its interactions with the international community. refuted the position.

However, Rubio has since reconciled with the president-elect and supported him in the presidential election.

Mr. Rubio’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his new role, but this snapshot of the 53-year-old politician’s comments on some of the United States’ biggest foreign policy challenges gives us a glimpse of the next Secretary of State. suggests what to expect. State of:

“This report should be a wake-up call to lawmakers, CEOs, and investors,” Rubio said. “We need to rebuild our country, overcome China’s challenges, and light the flame of freedom for generations to come. He called for efforts by society as a whole to continue. Please come. ”

There is no love lost for Rubio in Beijing. In 2020, Rubio and other U.S. officials were sanctioned by China. Amid retaliatory sanctions by China and Washington.

It is unclear how the Trump administration and future Secretary of State Rubio will approach Iran, as both Republicans have given mixed signals regarding punitive or more pragmatic policy stances.

President Trump caused an international shock during his first term in office. By tearing up the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposing harsh sanctions on Iran, critics warned: As a result, Iran’s nuclear weapons capability will be achieved sooner or later.

But ahead of last week’s election victory, President Trump signaled he was open to a new nuclear deal with Iran, telling reporters in New York: “Of course we would.” “We have to make a deal, because that outcome is impossible. We have to make a deal,” he said. In a comment reported by Politico.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that his country “must deal with the United States in the regional and international arenas.” Reuters reported. Iran has also indicated that it may be open to negotiations.

But a new nuclear deal may not work in Israel, where President Trump appointed Israel his “protector” during his campaign. Mr. Rubio is also a vocal critic of Iran and an ardent supporter of Israel, which continues to attack Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon, respectively.

In late September, Rubio supported the Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. speaks to NBC News “Israel has no choice but to defend itself. I believe it is a service to humanity to wipe out not only Nasrallah, but the senior leadership of this evil organization.” He also said that Iran’s goals in the Middle East are “The goal is to drive the United States out of the region and then destroy Israel,” he said.

Rubio also did not rule out taking a pragmatic approach to Tehran, telling NBC News, “If tomorrow the Iranian regime says, “We’re going to stop trying to become a regional power, we’re going to stop nuclear weapons. If you say so, we will stop.” “We’re going to stop supporting terrorism. We’re going to stop trying to kill you. That’s what they’re trying to do with Donald Trump. We’re going to stop all of this.” Of course. In theory yes. , maybe you can solve something like that. ”

Still, he added, this scenario is “unlikely because that is the very mission and purpose that drives this administration.” Iran has denied US accusations that Tehran is involved in an alleged plot to kill President Trump.

There is widespread agreement that the incoming Trump administration will be far more hostile to providing further military aid to Ukraine, which will severely hamper Ukraine’s ability to continue fighting back against Russia. It is also seen as It is likely that a republican government will bring Kyiv to peace talks with Russia, in which Kiev will be forced to cede occupied territory to its neighbor as part of a peace deal.

Rubio insists he is not on Russia’s side. he told NBC News in late September. “Unfortunately, the reality is that the war in Ukraine will end with a negotiated settlement.”

“We hope that when the time comes, there will be more influence on the Ukrainian side than on the Russian side. In my mind, that’s exactly the goal here. And I think that’s the objective.” [former President] “That’s what Donald Trump is trying to say,” Rubio said.

The senator was initially a vocal supporter of Ukraine, but as funding bills swell after 32 months of war and domestic issues remain unresolved, he and other Republicans Their support was waning.

Rubio was one of a handful of hardline Republicans who voted against a $95 billion aid package in April to support Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel, saying the U.S. was not doing enough to address domestic challenges such as border security. He said he was opposed to the bill. And immigration.