U.S.DEPARTMENT OF STATE, update

Press Briefing on CBP Home App with Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Joe Salazar, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
03/24/2025


Press Briefing on CBP Home App with Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Joe Salazar, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.
03/24/2025 05:17 PM EDT



Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Department of Homeland Security

Joseph "Joe" Salazar, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State

MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. I am Amanda Roberson, the deputy director of the U.S. State Department’s Miami Media Hub. We welcome journalists who have joined from the United States and across Latin America. This is an on-the-record press briefing in English with simultaneous interpretation in Spanish. We are fortunate to have Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Joe Salazar, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs at the U.S. State Department.

Assistant Secretary McLaughlin will discuss the new CBP Home program that offers unlawfully present illegal immigrants the opportunity to voluntarily depart the United States. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Salazar will be available to answer questions related to the Department of State. We will begin this hub call with opening remarks from Assistant Secretary McLaughlin, then I will moderate questions from journalists.

For simultaneous Spanish language interpretation, please look for the globe symbol on the Zoom platform and then select the audio language you prefer. We ask that you please write your name and affiliation in the user label on Zoom to help us identify you correctly during the question session.

And as a reminder, today’s briefing is on the record, attributable to Assistant Secretary McLaughlin, from whom we will hear now.

Assistant Secretary McLaughlin, please go ahead.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Thanks so much, Amanda. As many of you on this call know, earlier this month U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that DHS launched the CBP Home app with a self-deportation reporting feature for aliens illegally in our country. We launched the CBP Home app to give aliens an easy way to leave now and self-deport so they may still have the opportunity to return the legal, right way in the future and live the American dream. The incentive is clear. If they don’t self-deport, we will find them, we will deport them, and they will not return.

Self-deportation is also the safest option for illegal aliens, while preserving our law enforcement resources. Not only is it safer, but it also saves U.S. taxpayer dollars and valuable CBP and ICE resources to focus on dangerous criminal aliens.

Just last week, President Donald Trump released a video from the Resolute Desk, underscoring that people in our country illegally can self-deport the easy way or get deported the hard way.

Today, DHS is also announcing a new capability in the CBP Home app: the ability to verify departure. We’re offering aliens who choose to self-deport an ability to notify the U.S. Government of their departure from the United States, giving them the capability to provide biographic data from their passports or other travel documents, facial images, and geolocation to prove that they have exited. The alien must be at least three miles outside the United States to successfully utilize this feature. While the use of the verify departure functionality is optional, if the alien chooses to use it, they must submit a facial image. It’s required.

The bottom line is the Biden administration exploited the CBP One app to allow more than 1 million aliens to illegally enter the United States. The Trump Administration launching of the CBP Home app is restoring integrity into our immigration system.

And with that, we’ll take your questions.

MODERATOR: Thank you. So we will begin with a question from Yazmin Velasco from RPTV Colombia. The question is: “What safeguards does the app offer to prevent abuse or undue pressures on migrants?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: And I can take that one. We have a number of safeguards featured in the app. That includes privacy so that there’s no leakage of personal information. We have implanted precautions to maintain that confidentiality and integrity, and that is in the CBP system. So we take that incredibly seriously, whether it be for a U.S. citizen or an illegal alien as well.

MODERATOR: The next question is from Lilia Moyado from RCN Colombia. Lilia, could you please unmute yourself to ask your question now? Lilia, go ahead if you’re ready to ask your question.

QUESTION: (No response.)

MODERATOR: Okay, and as we wait for Lilia, I’ll go ahead with another question. This one is from – sorry, this one is from Carlos Albino: “How can a person find out how they qualify for self-deportation?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Well, if you’re in the country illegally, you certainly qualify for self-deportation. And I also think that new feature that we’ve unveiled today, that verify departure, it’s a excellent way to potentially re-enter the country in the future legally, because this feature is able to provide evidence of a verifiable exit, which then these aliens are demonstrating compliance with U.S. immigration laws, and that could be used for the future for a visa or for travel applications.

MODERATOR: Okay, the next question is from Jesús García from La Opinión. Jesús, please, you may unmute yourself and ask your question now.

QUESTION: Good morning, thank you for doing this. Well, good afternoon. I have a couple of questions about this – related with the CBP One – CBP Home, sorry. The U.S. Government is asking immigrants to leave the U.S. under this application and promising the possibility to return legally. How case these people apply to that benefit to return legally to the United States without the Immigration and Nationality Act punishments for three, five, or 10 years to enter to the United States?

I don’t know if the next question, which is related with the U.S. Department of State relation with Latin America, can apply now or later.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: I did not catch the last question. But again, I believe the answer is to use that verify departure feature and show that record that you are – the alien is complying with U.S. immigration laws, and that can help expedite and put folks in a good position to get a visa or travel application.

MODERATOR: Okay, the next question is from Andrés Fidanza, El Observador. Andrés, could you please unmute yourself and ask your question?

QUESTION: Hi. Here, can you hear me? Yes, I think so.

MODERATOR: Yes, please ask your question.

QUESTION: Very good, thank you very much. What expectation do you have regarding the number of people who might use the self-deportation system, I don’t know, in the coming few months?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: We’re trying to incentivize as many individuals here illegally as possible to use it. As far as a data or metric, I don’t have any available at this time, but we do anticipate unleashing some of those numbers here in the coming weeks in addition to unveiling some new features for this app. But I think, again, we want to get the word out and incentivize as many people as possible to self-deport, because it is safer for these migrants and it is safer for our law enforcement and it also, of course, saves U.S. taxpayer dollars.

MODERATOR: Okay, the next question is from Eddy Sarmiento from Enter504 in Honduras. Eddy asks – he says, “Immigrants worry about the wait time and the treatment and whether they will go to jail after being deported. Can you expand on this?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: The best way to ensure you are not arrested if you are in this country illegally or detained and deported is if you self-deport yourself. So that’s what I encourage every person in this country illegally to do. If you do self-deport, you will potentially have the opportunity to return the legal and right way, so if you self-deport, it keeps that possibility open.

MODERATOR: Okay. The next question is from Christian Galarza from La Voz de la Frontera: “How many permits were delayed after the closure of CBP One? And if you can provide details on which permits they plan to – you plan to issue through CBP One.”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Well, CBP One does not exist anymore. Anyone who had the previous version of the CBP app was pushed an automatic update upgrading to the CBP Home app. As far as permits go, I don’t have an answer for you at this time.

MODERATOR: Okay. Next a question from Sindy Medina: “Once someone who is in the country illegally processes their auto – their self-deportation, how much time do they have to leave the United States?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Well, they have to be – if they’re using the verify departure feature, they have to be at least three miles out of the country.

MODERATOR: Okay. And the next question is from Iris Berrios from Telemundo. Iris, could you please unmute yourself and ask your question?

QUESTION: Hi, hello, good afternoon. I would like to know how many people so far have applied for the CBP Home, and also if the people who were under CBP One, if they’re going immediately under the CBP Home.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Yes, so it automatically – the CBP One app automatically re-uploads in your – on your iPhone, Android, or other smart device as CBP Home. As far as metrics for the number of people who have already chosen to self-deport or download the app, I should have metrics here in the coming weeks, as well as more announcements on new features and functionalities for the CBP One app. But I do want to see if Joseph Salazar has anything to add.

MR SALAZAR: Not on this topic, no.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Thanks, Joseph.

MODERATOR: Okay. The next question is from Cedê Silva from O Fator. Cedê, please ask your question now.

QUESTION: Thank you. I would like to take advantage of the presence of Mr. Salazar to ask if there’s any developments on the news about closing U.S. embassy posts or consulates abroad, especially the U.S. embassy branch office in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Thank you.

MR SALAZAR: Thanks for the question. It’s not entirely relevant to what the presentation is today. Nevertheless, we have no news at this time to share regarding any closures in Brazil or elsewhere throughout the world.

MODERATOR: Okay. The next question is from Uriel Vásquez from Despacho55*. Uriel, please unmute and ask your question.

QUESTION: Hi. I’d like to – what will happen to Nicaraguan migrants who self-deport if the Nicaraguan Government does not accept them back? Is the Government of Nicaragua (inaudible)?

MR SALAZAR: I can take that question. Would you mind repeating, Uriel?

QUESTION: Yeah. I’d like to know what will happen with Nicaraguans who wants to self-deport if the Nicaraguan Government does not accept them back. Is the Government of Nicaragua accepting (inaudible)?

MR SALAZAR: Thanks, Uriel, for the question. Look, these are not negotiations with the Government of Nicaragua or any of the governments. The United States fully expects the authorities of these different countries, including Nicaragua, to abide by the demands that we have outlined publicly. Every country, including especially the United States, has a right to deport illegal immigrants in our country, and every country has a responsibility to accept their own citizens back to their country. So the United States will ensure the prompt deportation of illegal aliens, and we will work with those partner countries to ensure that these citizens are accepted back into their home country.

MODERATOR: The next question is from Nancy Salguero from Diario El Salvador: “Could you tell us more about the visit of the Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to El Salvador?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Thank you for your question. Secretary Kristi Noem will be visiting El Salvador on Wednesday the 26th of March. I can share more information here shortly. But the bottom line is our partner countries are incredibly important partners in deporting these individuals, these criminal aliens in our country, and she’ll also be talking about the CBP Home app and how we can be utilizing that to have self – safe self-deportations.

MODERATOR: Okay. The next question is from Jesús García from La Opinión in Mexico. This is a question for Mr. Salazar: “How are the negotiations with Mexico on immigration? Is there any progress on implementing the ‘Remain in Mexico’ program?”

MR SALAZAR: Yeah, unfortunately, I can’t comment on any ongoing negotiations or discussions. Just know that they are obviously very sensitive, but we appreciate the partnership that we have with the Government of Mexico. Both our countries are – share a commitment to end the crisis of illegal immigration that has impacted adversely both of our countries. Over.

MODERATOR: Thank you. The next question is from Stephanie Ochoa from Univision. Stephanie, you can please unmute yourself and ask your question.

QUESTION: Hi, how are you? So you have said that you don’t have the metrics right now about how many people have applied for self-deportation, but this CBP Home application has been active since the beginning of this month. So we should assume nobody has applied yet to self-deport?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: No, that’s not a correct assumption. Like I said, we’ll – we’re going to be making announcements on metrics as well as new features and new functionalities for this app.

QUESTION: Is there – is there any approximate number?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Like I said, when we have the announcement, we will make sure you all are aware.

QUESTION: Thank you.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: And one other thing I did want to add. Secretary Noem’s travel schedule for Wednesday, March 26th to El Salvador – it might be helpful for this group. She’s going to be touring the Terrorist Confinement Center with the minister of justice, and then she’ll be meeting with President Bukele. Thank you.

MODERATOR: The next question is from Diego Guzmán from La Hora in Guatemala: “Are there campaigns in the so-called sanctuary cities to encourage illegal migrants to self-deport?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Can you repeat that question? Sorry, it broke up on my end.

MODERATOR: Yes. “Are there any campaigns in the so-called sanctuary cities to encourage illegal migrants to self-deport?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Yeah, absolutely. The CBP Home app is part of a broader $200 million campaign that encourages aliens to self-deport. I also think there is pressure from individuals in these sanctuary communities that they’re tired of seeing crime at the hands of people who are in the country illegally, and they’re pressuring their city councils, mayors, and elected officials to change these policies. Until then, we will continue to press the message that we will find these individuals who are here illegally, we will arrest them, and they will be deported. So the best option for everyone involved is to leave now, and you can do so easily using the CBP Home app.

MODERATOR: The next question is from Gabriela Perozo from VPItv. Gabriela, you can ask your question now.

QUESTION: Hi. Good afternoon. People who had the humanitarian parole, how much time do they have to register in this CBP Home and leave the country, if you do that? And if you have any updates related to humanitarian parole. Thank you.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Currently, the aliens – every alien, this is available to them to use. There’s no timeline, but their timing is of the essence because we do have ICE enforcement agents who are now empowered to do their jobs, and we are making arrests very quickly. We’ve arrested more aliens in this country in the last 50-60 days than the – all of last year. So we’re moving swift, but there’s no exact timeline. But we do encourage everyone to do this now and encourage those family members, loved ones, and colleagues who they know who are in the country illegally to use this very easy and accessible free app.

MODERATOR: The next question is from Yolanda Magaña from the daily El Mundo in El Salvador: “Will there be any preferential treatment for Salvadorans due to the agreement reached between the U.S. Government and President Nayib Bukele?”

MR SALAZAR: I can take that. The agreement between the United States and El Salvador, there was – these were not negotiations; these were not quid pro quo or any sort of agreements made by that. There is no preferential treatment regarding illegal immigration in the United States.

MODERATOR: Okay, the next question is from Valerie Gonzalez from the AP. Valerie, please unmute and ask your question.

QUESTION: Hi, yes. Thank you so much for taking my question. Will the countries that will be receiving people who self-deport be notified of people coming their way? Is there kind of any shared intelligence regarding this process?

MR SALAZAR: I can take that, Tricia.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Please go ahead.

MR SALAZAR: Similar to the way we have traditionally deported illegal migrants under this administration, under the previous administration, going back long before, pre-notification is the norm for us – to notify our partner countries of their nationals coming back to their country – and that is done in a coordinated fashion with them.

QUESTION: Thank you so much.

MODERATOR: The next question is from Carlos López from elsalvador.com. Carlos, you can unmute and ask your question, please.

QUESTION: Hello, good afternoon. Yeah, I would like to know if the people chooses to self-deport, is there any reason or the Government of the U.S. is actually thinking about sending them to El Salvador’s jails, actually the CECOT? Thank you very much.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Thanks, Carlos. No. If an individual decides to self-deport and leave now, they will not be detained; they will just exit the country and they can show verification of so in the verify departure feature of the app.

MODERATOR: Okay, the next question is from Abel Domínguez. Abel asks: “Why are the – why are people referred to as illegal migrants if they had a interview under the previous administration for asylum? Were there irregularities in the process of asylum during the Biden administration?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: Yes, there was very much irregularities in the vetting process. Laws were not implemented or executed. And so yes, these individuals are illegal aliens under the – this administration, who is actually implementing and enforcing immigration laws that are currently signed into law.

MODERATOR: Okay, this will be our last question, from Lester Herrera in Honduras: “Are illegal individuals in the process of document applications being given the option to remain while awaiting a resolution?”

ASSISTANT SECRETARY MCLAUGHLIN: These – I mean, these are handled on a case-by-case basis.

MODERATOR: Okay. Thank you very much. That concludes today’s briefing. We appreciate the participation of journalists and our U.S. Government speakers, Assistant Secretary McLaughlin and Deputy Assistant Secretary Salazar. An English audio recording and transcript of this hub call will be available on state.gov. If you have any questions, you may contact the Miami Media Hub at MiamiHub@state.gov. Thank you very much for joining this virtual briefing today.
On Trump Administration Imposing Tariffs on Countries Importing Venezuelan Oil
03/24/2025


On Trump Administration Imposing Tariffs on Countries Importing Venezuelan Oil
03/24/2025 07:51 PM EDT



Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
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On Trump Administration Imposing Tariffs on Countries Importing Venezuelan Oil


Press Statement





March 24, 2025



The United States will not tolerate any third-countries or their oil companies producing, extracting, or exporting oil and oil-related products with the Maduro regime in Venezuela. This is a regime that has consistently stolen elections, pillaged from its people, and colluded with our enemies. Any country that allows its companies to produce, extract, or export from Venezuela will be subject to new tariffs, and any companies will be subject to sanctions.


This statement follows President Trump’s recent Executive Order.



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Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Economic Growth and Prosperity Economic Prosperity and Trade Policy Office of the Spokesperson Sanctions and Designations The Secretary of State Venezuela


Greece Independence Day
03/25/2025


Greece Independence Day
03/25/2025 12:01 AM EDT



Marco Rubio, Secretary of State
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Greece Independence Day

Press Statement

March 25, 2025



On behalf of the people of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Greece as you celebrate your Independence Day.


The United States and Greece share a democratic and intellectual heritage that strengthens our collaboration in many fields, including our robust economic and military cooperation. We welcome Greece’s commitment to defense spending to modernize its armed forces, which strengthens our collective defense and deters threats to our shared security. The foundation of our close ties is the strong cultural and familial bonds between our two peoples, including the vibrant Hellenic diaspora community.


The United States is proud to partner with Greece during its term as a member of the UN Security Council where we are working together to address global challenges. We also are committed to addressing the crisis of illegal migration and fostering a stable and prosperous Eastern Mediterranean.


As you celebrate this anniversary, we honor the relationships between our people and look forward to continuing to deepen our partnership. I wish the people of Greece a peaceful and joyous celebration.



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Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Greece Office of the Spokesperson


Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Baltic Foreign Ministers
03/25/2025


Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Baltic Foreign Ministers
03/25/2025 04:27 PM EDT



The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys today in Washington, D.C. Secretary Rubio emphasized our strong ties to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia and reinforced our commitment to Baltic security. The Secretary welcomed their earnest contributions to European collective security through increased defense spending and burden sharing. The Secretary also emphasized President Trump’s determination to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.




Secretary Rubio’s Call with Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan
03/25/2025


Secretary Rubio’s Call with Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan
03/25/2025 05:44 PM EDT



The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed shared interests as strategic partners. The Secretary welcomed the agreement on a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and underlined the importance of a lasting peace to break the cycle of regional conflict and bring security and prosperity to the South Caucasus. The Secretary and Prime Minister agreed that escalation of any form in the South Caucasus is unacceptable.




Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan
03/25/2025


Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan
03/25/2025 08:04 PM EDT



The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan today to discuss cooperation on key issues in security and trade. The Secretary requested Türkiye’s support for peace in Ukraine and the South Caucasus. He appreciated Türkiye’s leadership in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and reiterated the need for close cooperation to support a stable, unified, peaceful Syria that is neither a base for international terrorism nor a pathway for destabilizing Iranian activities. The Secretary also noted recent advancements in bilateral trade and encouraged even greater economic partnership moving forward. Finally, the Secretary expressed concerns regarding recent arrests and protests in Türkiye.


Secretary Rubio’s Call with French Foreign Minister Barrot
03/26/2025

Secretary Rubio’s Call with French Foreign Minister Barrot
03/26/2025 01:35 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson
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Secretary Rubio’s Call with French Foreign Minister Barrot


Readout

March 26, 2025

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot about bringing an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. The Secretary emphasized President Trump’s determination to achieve, through negotiations, enduring peace, and stressed the United States will continue working with France towards this end. The two leaders reiterated their shared commitment to ensuring that Iran never develops or obtains a nuclear weapon.

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Bilateral Relations and Engagement Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs France Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State


Secretary Rubio’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Lammy
03/27/2025


Secretary Rubio’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Lammy
03/27/2025 09:01 AM EDT


Office of the Spokesperson
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Secretary Rubio’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Lammy

Readout
March 27, 2025
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:


Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke yesterday with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy about European efforts to support a lasting end to the Russia-Ukraine war. The Secretary thanked Foreign Secretary Lammy for the UK’s work to align Europe and Ukraine to support a durable peace in Ukraine and emphasized the need for further European contributions to bolster security in Europe. The Secretary further emphasized President Trump’s determination to bring about peace through negotiation. The Secretary and Foreign Secretary Lammy also discussed developments in the Middle East, and they reiterated their shared commitment to ensuring that Iran never develops or acquires a nuclear weapon.



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Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Conflicts and Peacekeeping Office of the Spokesperson Peace The Secretary of State United Kingdom


Sanctioning Evasion Network Supporting Hizballah Finance Operations
03/28/2025


Sanctioning Evasion Network Supporting Hizballah Finance Operations
03/28/2025 10:40 AM EDT

Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson
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Sanctioning Evasion Network Supporting Hizballah Finance Operations

Press Statement

March 28, 2025

The United States is today designating a Lebanon-based sanctions evasion network that supports Hizballah’s finance team, which oversees commercial projects and oil smuggling networks that generate revenue for Hizballah.

Such evasion networks bolster Iran and Hizballah, undermining Lebanon. As part of today’s action, the United States is designating five individuals and three associated companies, including family members and close associates of prominent Hizballah officials.


This action supports the whole-of-government policy of maximum pressure on Iran and its terrorist proxies, like Hizballah, as detailed in National Security Presidential Memorandum 2 issued on February 4.


The United States is committed to supporting Lebanon by exposing and disrupting funding schemes for Hizballah’s terrorist activities and Iran’s destabilizing influence in the region. Hizballah cannot be allowed to keep Lebanon captive. The United States will continue using tools at its disposal until this terrorist group no longer threatens the Lebanese people.


Additionally, the Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, which is administered by the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of Hizballah.


Today’s action is being taken pursuant to counterterrorism authority Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended. The Department of State previously designated Hizballah as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, pursuant to E.O. 13224, which targets terrorist groups and their supporters, and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. For more information, today’s designation can be found on the Recent Actions | Office of Foreign Assets Control website.


More information about this reward offer is located on the Rewards For Justice website.

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Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Iran Lebanon Office of the Spokesperson Rewards for Justice Sanctions and Designations The Secretary of State


The Week at State: March 21 – 27, 2025
03/28/2025


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March 21 – March 27

On Tuesday, Secretary Rubio and First Lady Trump will honor the 2025 International Women of Courage awardees for their courage, strength, and leadership in advocating for women and girls.

Here’s what happened at State this week. ⤵️✈️ Secretary Rubio traveled to the Caribbean to strengthen our hemisphere's security, counter transnational crime, and address illegal immigration.
🤝 We welcomed our new Deputy Secretary of State.
🏫 During a visit to the Foreign Service Institute, Secretary Rubio spoke with our diplomats in training.


Promoting a Secure and Prosperous Caribbean

(Official State Department photos by Freddie Everett)

Secretary Rubio traveled to Jamaica, Guyana, and Suriname to advance President Trump’s America First foreign policy.

🇯🇲 In Kingston, Jamaica, the Secretary held a joint press availability with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness where he discussed:Providing foreign aid in a way that is strategically aligned with our foreign policy priorities and the priorities of our host countries.
Realigning American global trade policy, primarily to reset global trade in a way that's fair to the U.S.
Supporting efforts to combat crime and empower Jamaican security forces.

He also thanked the U.S. Embassy staff in Jamaica for their hard work and dedication.

🇬🇾 In Georgetown, Guyana, Secretary Rubio and Guyanese President Irfaan Ali discussed economic and energy partnerships, regional security, and defense cooperation. The Secretary also shared why the U.S. cares about the prosperity of Guyana and our regional partners.

🇸🇷 In Paramaribo, Suriname, the Secretary spoke with Surinamese President Santokhi and Foreign Minister Ramdin about Suriname's economic progress, regional security, and opportunities for U.S. investment. They also agreed on the need for transparent elections in May 2025.



Meet the New Deputy Secretary of State

Secretary Rubio meets with Deputy Secretary Landau at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., March 25, 2025. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)

On March 25, we welcomed Christopher Landau as our new Deputy Secretary of State.

In his first official call with Mexican Foreign Secretary Juan Ramón de la Fuente, the Deputy Secretary affirmed U.S. commitment to a new era of U.S.-Mexico security cooperation.

Stay connected with Deputy Secretary Landau on his official X account: @DeputySecState.


Inside America’s Diplomatic Training Ground


Secretary Rubio visited the Foreign Service Institute, the U.S. government’s premier foreign affairs training provider.

For over 70 years, FSI has equipped U.S. diplomats with the tools they need to best serve the American people and represent our country abroad.

During his visit, Secretary Rubio spoke with our diplomats in training who are building or expanding their skillsets.

To learn more, follow @FSIatState on X, LinkedIn, or Facebook.



Today's Travel Tips

Even if you're going somewhere you’ve been before, entry requirements, local laws, and safety considerations can change.

Before every international trip, go to travel.state.gov/destination for the latest on:Passport validity requirements
Current travel advisories
Local laws
Entry, exit, and visa requirements
U.S. embassy and consulate contact information


News You May Have MissedPresident Trump reimposed a maximum pressure campaign designed to end Iran's nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop it from supporting terrorist groups.
We’ve taken steps to de-escalate the Russia-Ukraine conflict and work to a long and enduring peace.
Deportation flights of Venezuelan illegal aliens to their homeland resumed.
In last week’s Big Takeaway, Spokesperson Tammy Bruce shared how Secretary Rubio’s diplomacy is making America safer.
We announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Guatemalan narcotics trafficker Haroldo Waldemar Lorenzana Terraza.
We commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Biological Weapons Convention, which has made America and the world safer by addressing the threat of biological weapons.
The U.S. and the Government of Guyana agreed to deepen security cooperation, including countering narcotics trafficking and transnational organized crime.

Looking AheadApril 1: International Women of Courage Award Ceremony
April 3-4: NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
April 13: World Expo 2025 begins in Osaka, Japan
Note to Our Readers

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Secretary Rubio’s Travel to Brussels
03/31/2025

Secretary Rubio’s Travel to Brussels
03/31/2025 03:02 PM EDT

Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson
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Secretary Rubio’s Travel to Brussels

Press Statement

March 31, 2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Brussels, Belgium from April 2-4. In Brussels, Secretary Rubio will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting to discuss security priorities for the Alliance, including increased Allied defense investment and securing lasting peace in Ukraine. Secretary Rubio will also discuss the shared threat of China to the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Alliances at a NATO session with representatives of the Indo-Pacific Partners. Lastly, the Secretary will discuss plans for The Hague Summit this summer.



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Sanctions Target Iran’s UAV and Ballistic Missile Procurement Networks
04/01/2025

Sanctions Target Iran’s UAV and Ballistic Missile Procurement Networks
04/01/2025 01:49 PM EDT

Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson
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Sanctions Target Iran’s UAV and Ballistic Missile Procurement Networks

Press Statement

April 1, 2025
The United States is today sanctioning six entities and two individuals based in Iran, the UAE, and China that have been involved in the procurement of key components on behalf of entities connected to Iran’s UAV and ballistic missile programs.


Today’s action is a part of President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign on the Iranian regime, to disrupt efforts by the U.S.-sanctioned Iran-based Qods Aviation Industries to procure equipment for Iran’s military-industrial complex and UAV program.


The United States will use all available means to expose and disrupt Iran’s growing UAV and missile development programs and weapons proliferation, which destabilize the Middle East and beyond. We will continue to act against the complex schemes Iran uses in third countries to conceal its acquisition and its transfers of sensitive technology. Iran uses this technology and the proceeds from arms sales to bolster its military industrial base to build missiles and UAVs, which are used against fellow countries, as well as exported to Russia, terrorist proxy groups around the Middle East, and to other actors of concern.


The Department of Treasury’s action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their supporters.



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Sanctioning Iran-Backed Houthi Network Procuring Weapons and Commodities from Russia
04/02/2025

Sanctioning Iran-Backed Houthi Network Procuring Weapons and Commodities from Russia
04/02/2025 11:06 AM EDT

Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson
HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Sanctioning Iran-Backed Houthi Network Procuring Weapons and Commodities from Russia
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Sanctioning Iran-Backed Houthi Network Procuring Weapons and Commodities from Russia

Press Statement

April 2, 2025

Today, the United States is sanctioning financial facilitators, procurement operatives, and companies operating as part of a global illicit finance network supporting the Houthis. In coordination with Iran-backed Houthi financier, Sa’id al-Jamal, the network of actors designated today has procured millions of dollars of commodities from Russia, including weapons, dual-use materials, and stolen Ukrainian grain, for shipment to Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

Those designated today include two Russia-based Afghan brothers who assisted Sa’id al-Jamal in orchestrating shipments of stolen Ukrainian grain from Crimea to Yemen.

To counter the Houthis’ illicit efforts to procure weapons, dual-use materials, and stolen goods, the United States also identified eight digital asset wallets used by the Houthis to transfer funds associated with the group’s activities.

The United States is committed to eliminating the Iran-backed Houthis’ capabilities and resources to conduct attacks on our servicemembers and naval assets, while ending their ability to threaten the security of the United States and our partners.


Today’s action is being taken pursuant to the counterterrorism authority Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended, and builds on previous actions targeting Houthi weapons procurement operatives and suppliers. For more information, today’s designation can be found on the Recent Actions | Office of Foreign Assets Control webpage.


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Secretary of State Marco Rubio And NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Before Their Meeting
04/03/2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio And NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Before Their Meeting
04/03/2025 07:42 AM EDT

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: Good morning, Mr. Secretary. Dear Marco, a warm welcome to NATO, your first foreign ministers meeting. But before I continue, let me express my condolences about the four U.S. soldiers who died during exercises in Lithuania. Our thoughts are with their family, their friends, their colleague soldiers, and we have the deepest respect for their service. I also want to highlight the work being done by the U.S., Lithuania, but also Poland and Estonia, to work around the clock basically to do everything to make sure that they would be recovered. But again, we are very sad about their death.

Marco, I want to commend you for your tireless diplomacy over the last couple of months. You have traveled the whole world. And I also want to thank you for what you did before as a senator supporting NATO, and we will have a lot to discuss over the coming two days – of course, Ukraine. As I said before, President Trump, the team you (inaudible) you started a process of negotiations with our full support to bring the Ukraine war to a lasting, to a durable peace. And in the meantime, the Europeans are stepping up providing a lot of military support into Ukraine, and we have seen the latest numbers coming in that overall NATO Allies have provided in the first few months, over $20 billion in support to Ukraine to make sure they can stay in the fight as long as it continues.

We will also discuss the other threats over the next two days – of course Russia, which is our long-term threat, but also the increasing problems we have with China, of course, North Korea, Iran. And all of these four are getting more and more connected, and these two theaters getting more and more connected and working intertwined.

We know that United States is a staunch Ally in NATO. I had a very good meeting with the President, with President Trump. But that commitment comes with an expectation, and the expectation is that the European Allies and Canada need to spend more. Since (inaudible) the aggregate extra spending from Canada and Europe has been several hundred billion up to now. But when you look at the hundreds of billions of euros/dollars now rolling in in the last couple of months, this is probably the biggest surge in defense spending we have seen in Canada and Europe since the Cold War, since the Berlin Wall came down. So that is good news but still we need to do more.

And then, of course, we will meet with the partners from Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand also to discuss another important issue, which is defense industrial production and how we can do more with them and to work together. So a lot of ground to cover. But again, a warm welcome. Please.

SECRETARY RUBIO: Thank you. And thank you, and I’m glad you had a good meeting. I know I was out of the country while you were there, but I know you had a good meeting with the President. Thank you for your condolences of the four Americans who tragically lost their lives in an important training exercise. We honor them.

And it also reminds us that the United States is in NATO. We are active. As we speak right now, the United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been. And some of this hysteria and hyperbole that I see in the global media and some domestic media in the United States about NATO is unwarranted. President Trump has made clear he supports NATO; we’re going to remain in NATO. He’s made clear – our first ambassador, a guy out of the United States Senate, is our ambassador to NATO who joins us here today on his first day on – his first hour on the job. So all of that is a testament to it.

But we want NATO to be stronger. We want NATO to be more viable. And the only way NATO can get stronger and more viable is if our partners, the nation-states that comprise this important Alliance, have more capability. This is a collection not just of partners and Allies but of advanced economies, of rich countries who have the capability to do more. We understand that’s a tradeoff. We have to do it every single year in our country. I assure you that we also have domestic needs. But we’ve prioritized defense because of the role we’ve played in the world, and we want our partners to do the same.

And I understand there’s domestic politics after decades of building up vast social safety nets that maybe you don’t want to take away that and invest more in national security. But the events of the last few years – a full-scale ground war in the heart of Europe – is a reminder that hard power is still necessary as a deterrent. And so we do want to leave here with an understanding that we are on a pathway, a realistic pathway, to every single one of the members committing and fulfilling a promise to reach up to 5 percent in spending. That includes the United States will have to increase its percentage. Because if the threats truly are as dire as I believe they are and the members of this Alliance believe they are, then that threat has to be confronted by a full and real commitment to have the capability to confront these things, to confront them.

And that’s been the message President Trump had in first administration and it’s the one he brings into this one. He’s not against NATO. He is against a NATO that does not have the capability that it needs to fulfil the obligations that the treaty imposes upon each and every member-state. And it wants – no one expects that you’re going to be able to do this in one year or two, but the pathway has to be real. This is a hard truth but it is a basic one that needs to be said now in order for us prove – in order for us to build the kind of NATO that has the capability to defend the territories of our nation-states and deter any action that would be aggressive against any one of us.

So I hope to have a chance to engage on that here today in our conversations. I’m sure we will. Of course, we’re also happy to be joined by our Indo-Pacific partners who have become great partners to the Alliance, as we also see increased threats to both freedom of navigation and territorial integrity in the Indo-Pacific. So we look forward to engaging them as well in this context. And thank you for the chance to be here on my first visit. I hope it will be very productive. Thank you very much.

SECRETARY GENERAL RUTTE: It will. Absolutely. Thank you so much.

Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen
04/03/2025

Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen
04/03/2025 10:43 AM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson
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Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Danish Foreign Minister Rasmussen

Readout

April 3, 2025

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen today in Brussels. Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the strong relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Denmark. They discussed shared priorities including increasing NATO defense spending and burden sharing, and addressing the threats to the Alliance, including those posed by Russia and China. They also reviewed ongoing coordination to enhance stability and security in Europe and to secure an enduring peace in Ukraine.

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Joint Statement on the Trilateral – United States, Japan, Republic of Korea – Meeting in Brussels
04/03/2025


Joint Statement on the Trilateral – United States, Japan, Republic of Korea – Meeting in Brussels
04/03/2025 07:25 PM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson

The following text was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Japan, and the Republic of Korea.

Begin Text:

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, and Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met on April 3 in Brussels to strengthen trilateral cooperation in advancing the safety, security, and prosperity of our three countries and the broader Indo-Pacific region, while upholding shared principles including the rule of law. The Secretary and Foreign Ministers emphasized the importance of NATO’s cooperation with Indo-Pacific Partners to ensure the ability to swiftly respond to security developments and challenges in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. They also expressed their deep condolences for the loss of lives and damage caused by the wildfires in the ROK and Japan.

Strengthening Regional and Global Engagement

The United States reiterated its ironclad commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK, backed by America’s unmatched military strength, including its nuclear capabilities. All sides confirmed that U.S. extended deterrence commitments to Japan and the ROK remain critical to the security and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region. Japan and the ROK expressed their support for U.S. efforts to engage the PRC and Russia on reducing nuclear risks. They reaffirmed their commitment to bolstering defense and deterrence by advancing robust security cooperation and strengthening their respective defense capabilities.

The Secretary and Foreign Ministers strongly opposed unlawful maritime claims or any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, including the South China Sea. They emphasized their commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific and ensuring international law as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, including freedoms of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea, prevails.

They also emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community. They expressed concern about provocative actions, particularly the recent military drills around Taiwan, and called for an end to further destabilizing actions. They encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues and opposed any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo, including by force or coercion. They also expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations.

The Secretary and Foreign Ministers welcomed continued talks between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine and encouraged progress towards a comprehensive ceasefire, which is an essential step to a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with the Charter of the United Nations.

Addressing the North Korean Threat

The Secretary and Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their resolute commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). They expressed their serious concerns over DPRK’s increasing military cooperation with Russia. They also emphasized the need to address together the DPRK’s nuclear and missile programs and to maintain and strengthen the sanctions regime against the DPRK by responding firmly to violations and evasions of the relevant UNSCRs.

The Secretary and Foreign Ministers expressed their serious concern with malicious cyber activities by DPRK cyber actors, including the theft of nearly $1.5 billion worth of cryptocurrency from a single exchange service in February. They called on the international community to take actions to prevent the DPRK from converting the stolen cryptocurrency into hard cash.

The Secretary and Foreign Ministers pledged to continue efforts to address gross violations of human rights in and by the DPRK and reiterated their commitment to the immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war as well as the issue of separated families.

Enhancing Economic Security and Resilience

The Secretary and Foreign Ministers committed to continue strengthening energy security and energy cooperation, underpinned by America’s LNG and other energy sources and technologies, in a mutually beneficial manner. Building on discussions in Munich, they also committed to continue diversifying critical mineral and other vital supply chains, including through active collaboration under the MSP (Minerals Security Partnership), and developing and protecting critical and emerging technologies. They underscored the need to leverage their industries’ capacities to accelerate joint efforts to develop and deploy advanced civil nuclear reactors to meet growing energy needs under the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation. They recognized the need for concerted efforts to ensure maritime security and prosperity through a modern maritime fleet, a robust shipbuilding industry, and a strong workforce. They welcomed the trilateral coast guard cooperation to address the multifaceted challenges in the maritime domain and provide joint capacity-building assistance to partners in the region under Trilateral Maritime Security and Law Enforcement Cooperation Framework. Standing firmly against economic coercion and unfair trade practices, they reaffirmed their commitment to a free and fair global economic order. They also committed to support the ROK’s efforts to successfully host APEC 2025 and achieve meaningful outcomes.

Advancing Trilateral Cooperation

The Secretary and Foreign Ministers committed to continue trilateral meetings at all levels, including at the Vice-Ministerial level. They look forward to the second Trilateral Global Leadership Youth Summit in Japan this summer.

End Text.

Secretary Rubio’s Meeting Belgian Prime Minister De Wever
04/04/2025

Secretary Rubio’s Meeting Belgian Prime Minister De Wever
04/04/2025 07:18 AM EDT

Office of the Spokesperson
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Secretary Rubio’s Meeting Belgian Prime Minister De Wever

Readout
April 4, 2025

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever today in Brussels and discussed shared priorities including NATO defense spending, China, and counternarcotics. They also reviewed ongoing coordination to enhance stability and security in Europe and around the world.

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio Remarks to Press
04/04/2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio Remarks to Press
04/04/2025 01:03 PM EDT
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State

Brussels, Belgium

NATO Headquarters

SECRETARY RUBIO: All right, let’s do it. I don’t have a statement. Let’s just do it.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, thank you for taking questions. Diplomacy depends on predictability, reliability, trust. Markets are crashing around the world for the second day in a row. The consensus is that the President’s tariffs were much higher than expected, and based on economic formulas that people do not understand. What is your reaction, and what is the impact on Europeans? You want them to spend more on defense —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Yes.

QUESTION: — which they are agreeing to finally, but how can they do that when their economies are crashing, and they are now —

SECRETARY RUBIO: No, their – no, no, no, no, no – no, their economies are not crashing. The markets are —

QUESTION: But they are.

SECRETARY RUBIO: No, their economies are not crashing. Their markets are reacting to a dramatic change in the global order in terms of trade. And so, what happens is pretty straightforward. If you’re a company and you make a bunch of your products in China, and all of a sudden shareholders or people that play the stock market realize that it’s going to cost a lot more to produce in China, your stock is going to go down. But ultimately, the markets – as long as they know what the rules are going to be moving forward – and as long as that’s set and you can, you can sustain where you’re going to be, the markets will adjust. Businesses around the world, including in trade and global trade, they just need to know what the rules are. Once they know what the rules are, they will adjust to those rules.

So, I don’t think it’s fair to say economies are crashing. Markets are crashing because markets are based on the stock value of companies who today are embedded in modes of production that are bad for the United States. We have to be a country that – we’re the largest consumer market in the world, and yet the only thing we export is services, and we need to stop that. We need to get back to a time when we’re a country that can make things, and to do that we have to reset the global order of trade.

QUESTION: Yeah, but – sir, there’s a long (inaudible). And the other part of my question —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, the worst thing is to leave it the way it is forever. I mean, this is – just can’t continue. We can’t continue to be a country that doesn’t make things. We have to be able to make things to provide jobs for Americans. We – that’s it; it’s that simple. China is an example. I mean, it’s outrageous. I mean, they don’t consume anything. All they do is export and flood and distort markets, in addition to all the tariffs and barriers they put in place. So, the President rightly has concluded that the current status of global trade is bad for America and good for a bunch of other people, and he’s going to reset it. And he’s absolutely right to do it.

QUESTION: But – let me ask you about also the predictability of relationships with allies. The prime minister of Greenland – excuse me – the prime minister of Denmark, which at this point, owns Greenland – so Denmark, a NATO Ally, is saying that it’s unacceptable, that one country cannot annex another country. And —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, no one’s annexed anything. It’s going to be up to Greenlanders. The Vice President made that clear. He’s going to respect the self-determination of Greenlanders. So, at some point – the Greenlanders have made clear that they want to be independent of Denmark.

QUESTION: President —

SECRETARY RUBIO: So that’s – Greenland – Denmark should focus on the fact that the Greenlanders don’t want to be a part of Denmark. That’s what they should focus on. We didn’t give them that idea; they’ve been talking about that for a long time. Whenever they make that decision, they’ll make that decision, and then the – what we’re not going to do is let China come in now and say, offer them a bunch of money and become dependent on China.

QUESTION: The President said he would not rule out using military force against Denmark, a NATO Ally, to take —

SECRETARY RUBIO: No, he said he would not rule out – no, no, no – he said he would not rule out – he said I’m not going to rule out anything if Greenland is encroached upon by a foreign power like a China or Russia or anybody else. But it doesn’t matter because Greenlanders are going to make a decision. They’re the ones that want to get away from Denmark. They’re the ones that want to be independent, not us. We didn’t come up with that idea; they did. And if they make that decision, then the United States would stand ready, potentially, to step in and say, okay, we can create a partnership with you. We’re not at that stage. But that’s what the Vice President made clear last week in his visit there. His statement was abundantly clear. He said we will respect the self-determination of the people of Greenland – people of Greenland – and they’re the ones that want to leave Denmark. That wasn’t our idea.

MODERATOR: All right, well, second question here, Missy from Washington Post.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, I’d like to ask you about the Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Can you give us the – your – tell us about the American assessment of the conditions that Russia put forward following the – regarding the Black Sea ceasefire talks? And also, the British and French foreign ministers said this morning that Putin was dragging his feet. Do you agree with that, that —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Maybe – I mean, he might be. We don’t know yet. We’re going to find out fairly soon. I mean, look, we are – here’s what the President wanted to do. He wants to end this war and he wanted to test it very early in his administration. Is it possible to end this war on terms that are acceptable, obviously, to both sides? Because you can’t end a war unless both sides agree. And that’s what we’re in the process of finding out. We will know soon enough – in a matter of weeks, not months – whether Russia is serious about peace or not. I hope they are. It would be good for the world if that war ended, but obviously we have to test that proposition.

So we’re working through that process. We had a visitor – Mr. Kirill was here this week. I had a chance to sit down with him. He met with others. He’ll take some messages back. And the message is: The United States needs to know whether you’re serious or not about peace. Ultimately, Putin will have to make that decision; the Russian Federation will have to make that decision. I think the Ukrainians have shown a willingness to enter, for example, into a complete ceasefire to create space for negotiation. At some point here fairly soon – not six months from now – the Russians and Putin will have to make a decision about whether they’re serious for peace or not, and I hope they are serious. It would be good for the world if that war ended.

QUESTION: And what is – what is your assessment of the Russian conditions that were put forward? And also, Dmitriev said, following his talks with Mr. Witkoff yesterday, that the U.S. and Russia might resume direct flights as maybe a confidence building measure. Do you support that? So, the —

SECRETARY RUBIO: I haven’t heard anything about direct flights.

QUESTION: Okay. What about —

SECRETARY RUBIO: I can tell you – but I don’t know who’s going to fly on it, because all these people are sanctioned. But I would just tell you that – the thing I would point to you is this. I’m not – we’re going to wait and see. The Russians know our position in terms of wanting to end the war, and we will know from their answers very soon whether they are serious about proceeding with real peace or whether it’s a delay tactic. If it’s a delay tactic, the President’s not interested in that. If this is dragging things out, President Trump’s not going to fall into the trap of endless negotiations about negotiations. We will know soon enough whether or not Russia is serious about peace. If they are, that will be great. Then we can move towards peace. If they’re not, then we’ll have to re-evaluate where we stand and what we do moving forward about it, but we’ll be in no different a position than we are today or we were when he took office. He wanted to know early in his administration: is peace possible? We’re testing to see if the Russians are interested in peace. Their actions – not their words, their actions – will determine whether they’re serious or not, and we intend to find that out sooner rather than later.

QUESTION: And what about their conditions?

MODERATOR: All right. And let’s – Daphne —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Which conditions?

QUESTION: They put forward additional conditions after you guys had the Black Sea ceasefire.

SECRETARY RUBIO: Yeah. So again, I mean, this is part of the back-and-forth of these sorts of things. I had phone calls with foreign leaders, and then I read the readout, and it’s like, oh, we said – no, you never – (inaudible) they said something to me they never said. I guess that’s part of the game in this place or whatever. But look, I don’t – bottom line is, to me, at the end of the day, what’s going to matter here is whether we’re going to move towards peace or not.

If peace is real, we will know soon enough. If they’re not interested in peace, we will know soon enough, and we’ll make decisions on the basis – I hope they are real. There are some promising signs; there are some troubling signs. It’s not going to be easy. No one ever said this would be easy, but we’re going to find out sooner rather than later. And let’s just say I’m hopeful, I remain hopeful, I need to be hopeful that peace is possible and that the Russians are serious about peace. We want them to be serious about peace, and hopefully they are, but we’ll know sooner rather than later.

MODERATOR: All right, Daphne, Reuters.

QUESTION: Hi, sorry, I’m back here.

SECRETARY RUBIO: Your last name’s Reuters? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

SECRETARY RUBIO: That’s pretty cool, isn’t it? (Laughter.) Go ahead.

QUESTION: On the 5 percent defense spending target, have you received pushback to this idea while you’ve been here this week? And you mentioned yesterday up to 5 percent – was your language – what do you mean by up to 5 percent?

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, I said up to a path – getting up to 5 percent at some point. I’m not saying overnight, but to get to that point, we think that’s what NATO Allies need to be spending for NATO to face the threats that itself has identified and articulated. Here’s the good news. The good news is everyone generally, with a couple exceptions, are spending more on defense today than they were three, four or five years ago. That’s positive. That trend needs to continue. So, the trend lines are good but they need to continue.

But this is not about spending, okay? This is not about money necessarily. This is about capability. In order for NATO to be stronger, it needs partners that are stronger, okay. The United States commits a lot to NATO and continues to. We are as involved in NATO today as we have ever been, and we intend to continue to be, but it has to be a real Alliance, and that means that our Alliance partners have to increase their own capabilities.

So, hopefully two things have led to that. The first is the war in Ukraine, I think, has woken up a lot of people on this continent about real threats and real war. And the other is, I think, the pressure and the statements of President Trump that have been pretty consistent about increasing their spending. So, this whole trajectory of more defense spending began, I believe, back in 2017, 2018 under President Trump’s first term. We want that trend to continue, and we’re hoping when the leaders meet in The Hague, that there’ll be further and firmer commitments in that direction.

I think it’s beneficial to the Alliance. The stronger our partners in NATO are, the more capable our partners in NATO are, the stronger NATO is, and everybody should be in favor of that.

QUESTION: And sorry, just to follow up. So, will you try and get the official target as 5 percent rather than 2 percent? And will the U.S. commit to 5 percent?

SECRETARY RUBIO: Sure. We’re heading there now. I mean, we’re going to have to spend more on national security, because we have a global footprint, and that’s the point that I think has been made and missed in a lot of places, okay. The United States has Indo-Pacific alliance obligations as well that we’ve made. We are currently involved in opening up the Red Sea so that global shipping for everyone, including our European partners, can become possible again. We’re engaged in counter-drug and counter-gang interdictions in the Western Hemisphere. There’s obviously all sorts of issues going on in different parts of the world, including we’re concerned about a resurgence of terrorist cells, whether it’s in Africa or in the Middle East.

So, the U.S. has these global obligations, and we have China that’s undergoing the largest, most expansive peacetime military expansion in history. So, we need to confront all of these things, and we’re engaged in all of those things. So, we’re going to have to increase defense spending in our country. I think our commitment to NATO isn’t just 3-and-something percent spending of GDP. It’s sustained over an extraordinary period of time, and that continues.

So, look, I think our partners know they need to do more, they’ve all indicated they want to do more, they’ve begun to do more, and that trend needs to continue.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary —

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you mentioned that you met with Kirill Dmitriev as well. In order to stop them from dragging their feet and dragging this on, is there anything that you said – perhaps not threats, but is there anything that you said you wanted to see concretely from the Russian side in order to —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Yes, peace. We want to see peace.

QUESTION: But specifics in terms of getting to this ceasefire first and then the negotiation —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Yeah. I mean, peace means you stop shooting at each other. I mean, it’s as simplistic as that. Now, obviously, look, there’s all kinds of conditions for a final peace, and you have to work with both sides. And I’ve said from the beginning the only way a war ends in a negotiated settlement – if it’s not an unconditional surrender, then it is both sides make concessions. We’re not going to prejudge what those concessions are because those concessions will depend on what Ukraine will accept, and Russia will accept. But we have to make concrete steps towards peace.

What we’re not interested in – and I’m not accusing them of this; I’m just telling you – what we’re not interested in is negotiations about negotiations, that we’re not going to continue this forever. So, none of it was threatening. I think it was more an explanation of: This is our timeline, and at some point it will be clear whether you want peace or you don’t want peace. And that time is coming; it’s pretty short.

At the same time, as we now have seen, members of Congress have begun to file bills to increase sanctions. So, there is going to be growing pressure from Capitol Hill to impose sanctions that we’re not going to be able to stop if, in fact, we’re not making progress towards peace. All these factors have been explained in the nicest way possible. Hopefully he’ll take that message back to Moscow and it’ll make clear that we need to begin to see real progress, or we’ll have to conclude that they’re not interested in peace. But let’s hope they are, because I think it would be better for everyone if they are interested —

QUESTION: Are more talks planned?

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, we need to hear an answer to this. I mean, your – talks are only – we’re going to have talks as long as talks are about something. They can’t be talks about talks. At the end – I think initially it was important to talk because we hadn’t talked to them in a long time, but now we’ve reached the stage where we need to make progress. And if we’re not making progress towards peace, then we have a set of factors that we have to take into account. But hopefully we are going to make progress towards peace. I remain optimistic that we can. It’ll be hard, it’ll be difficult, but I’m optimistic that we can.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, the Myanmar earthquake. I mean, normally, in these kind of events, you would have up to 200 Americans with sniffer dogs, special equipment, experts in their field saving lives on the ground. This has not happened because of the dismantling of USAID —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, that and the fact that it’s run by a military junta that doesn’t like us, so it’s hard for us to move around in that country.

QUESTION: But – but aid suppliers say it’s – these events are always non-political. They went into Syria, for example, in the Türkiye-Syria earthquake. So, they can (inaudible) —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, we’re not the government of the world. No, we will provide humanitarian assistance just like everybody else does, and we will do it the best we can. But we also have other needs we have to balance that against. We’re not walking away from humanitarian assistance. But again, I go back – there’s a lot of other rich countries in the world. They should all be pitching in. We’re going to do our part. We already have people there; we’ll have more people there. We’ll help as much as we can. It’s not the easiest place to work, okay? They have a military junta that doesn’t like us, doesn’t necessarily allow us to operate in that country the way we wanted to. That would have impeded our response no matter what.

That said, we are willing to continue to help in the humanitarian crisis. Other countries need to do so as well. China is a very rich country; India is a rich country. There are a lot of other countries in the world, and everyone should pitch in. I don’t think it’s fair to assume that the United States needs to continue to share the burden – 60, 70 percent – of humanitarian aid around the world. We will be in the business of humanitarian aid, but we have other priorities as well that are national interest priorities of the United States, and we’re going to align all those to be properly balanced.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary —

QUESTION: (Inaudible) of your soft power? I mean, all of the experts in this have said the reason is not because the politics of Myanmar, but it’s because of the dismantling of USAID. You simply couldn’t deploy —

SECRETARY RUBIO: Yeah, I don’t listen – these – so-called experts.

QUESTION: But you simply (inaudible).

SECRETARY RUBIO: Those are not real experts. These are so-called experts.

QUESTION: There was (inaudible) —

SECRETARY RUBIO: These are people that are part of that NGO industrial complex —

QUESTION: Well, they’re (inaudible) —

SECRETARY RUBIO: No, no, these are people that make millions and hundreds of millions of dollars in these NGOs all over the world that stand up and they get flooded with U.S. taxpayer money, and then we have to spend 10 – $100 million to get $10 million to people. We’re not doing that anymore, okay? We have stopped. We are no longer going to spend 10 million – $100 million dollars to get $10 million to recipients. We’re not going to fund these global NGOs all over the world that are living off of this. We’re not doing it. We are prepared to help them work with governments and appropriate NGOs on the ground that are delivering assistance.

We will be there and we will be helpful. There are a lot of other rich countries. They should also pitch in and help, and some of them are and some of them are not. But we are going to do our part, we’re going to continue to do our part, but it’s going to be balanced with all of the other interests we have as a country. We are not a nation – we are the richest country in the world, but our resources are not unlimited. They are not unlimited. And we have a massive national debt, and we have many other priorities as well. And it’s time to recalibrate all of that. So we’ll be there. We’ll be helpful as much as we can. We’ve got other things we have to take care of as well, but we care deeply about what’s happened there. We wish we had a more cooperative government.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary —

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, what’s your —

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, the Middle East was part of your discussion here in NATO, especially that you find support from members toward your policy of air strikes in Houthis and your maximum pressure policy toward Iran?

SECRETARY RUBIO: Yeah. I mean, on the Houthis, everybody wants to get their ships through the Red Sea. We’re the only ones doing anything about it, but everyone wants to get their ships through there. As I said, we’ve done the world a great favor by taking on this band of criminals who have unfortunately sophisticated weaponry that they can use to – I mean, they’ve attacked, what, 150, 160 merchant vessels – 174 times they’ve attacked the United States Navy?

So I think the world should be grateful to the United States for being involved in this and doing this. Everyone thanks us for it. I understand these nations have limited capabilities despite being very rich countries. Nobody else can project power there and do this. But that said, we think that mission is going to bear fruit and it’s necessary. We can’t have a band of criminals controlling that.

In the case of Iran, I don’t know of any country in the world that’s excited about Iran ever having a nuclear weapons capability. Some are more forceful about it than others. We’ve had talks about that. As you know, the President would like to figure out what’s going to happen there, but he’s also made it clear that there is not going to be a nuclear-armed Iran. That’s not going to happen under his watch.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary —

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, what’s your message to foreign citizens who may be afraid to come to the United States because they’re concerned about potentially being detained over some minor administrative error or because they might have something on their phone – like criticism of the President or of the Israel-Gaza conflict —

SECRETARY RUBIO: No, no, no, no —

QUESTION: — and they don’t want to come into the United States now?

SECRETARY RUBIO: No – first of all, those – people that have their phones looked at and so forth, and you’ll have to – I’ll refer you to CBP to go through their processes. But generally, it’s people that have been flagged coming in for a reason. I would say that if you’re not coming to the United States to join a Hamas protest or to come here and tell us about how right Hamas is or to tell us about – stir up conflict on our campuses and create riots in our street and vandalize our universities, then you have nothing to worry about. But thousands – thousands and thousands of people come into the U.S. every single day to conduct business, to travel, to do all – to visit relatives. It happens every day, it’s very commonplace, and nobody has a problem.

I mean, if you’re coming here to create problems, you’re probably going to have a problem. And I think that’s a good thing. If you’re coming here to create problems – not here – the United States – you’re probably going to have a problem. Yeah, we’re not – we’re not going to continue to be stupid enough to let people into our country who are coming here to tear things up. Not going happen.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, have the Russians done anything concrete to make you encouraged that they are truly interested in peace? I mean, you talk about timeline – I know you’re not going to give a specific timeline, but are you talking weeks? Are you talking months?

SECRETARY RUBIO: I think we’re talking weeks probably, yeah. I mean, there’s a lot that has to happen here in the next few weeks in order for this to be real. In terms of concrete, they’ve agreed to certain things. I mean, I think there are things they’re not striking now that they were before. Obviously both sides claim that the ceasefire is being violated; it’s typical with ceasefires like this. But that said, not concrete in terms of – are we closer to peace? We’re closer to peace simply because we’re talking to both sides, but we’re not closer to peace because we have a deal on our hands to end this conflict.

But we’re going to know soon enough. That’s my point I make everybody – people come, oh, well, Putin, you can’t trust him. It’s not about trusting Putin; it’s not about trusting anybody. This is about actions. If you’re interested in peace, you stop fighting and you lay out the conditions by which you’re willing to end a war. And they have to be reasonable conditions, right, not crazy stuff. If you’re interested in peace, that’s what you do. If you’re not interested in peace, then you sort of drag it out and you come up with excuses and you – and we know that, and we’re not going to get pulled into that. But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Let’s hope it – let’s be optimistic here that that’s not the direction we’re going. We’re prepared if it is, but let’s hope that we’re not heading in the direction of this is just a delay tactic.

MODERATOR: All right, one more and then we wrap up.

SECRETARY RUBIO: Don’t you guys want to go home (inaudible)?

QUESTION: Just to follow up, Mr. Secretary. Your allies here and also Ukraine, they believe that Russia is actually preparing for – to launch another campaign, some military campaign, as soon as the winter season ends. Do you have any reason to doubt that?

SECRETARY RUBIO: That they’re going to do what? I’m sorry.

QUESTION: That – that Russia is – Russian side are – they are preparing to start another military campaign.

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well then, we’ll know they’re not interested in peace.

QUESTION: And at this very moment, they’re targeting energy sites. Can I get your reaction to that?

SECRETARY RUBIO: Targeting what? I’m sorry.

QUESTION: Energy sites in Ukraine.

SECRETARY RUBIO: Well, again, this is – I get that that means they’re violating the ceasefire. That’s not a good sign, but I think that will tell you this, that ultimately this is a war. Right now, things are going to be blowing up in Ukraine and inside of Russia because there’s still a war going on. That’s what we’re trying to end, okay? If we have a true ceasefire, which is what we wanted, a complete ceasefire, nothing should be blowing up. But the Russians didn’t agree to that. They wanted a partial.

And then, obviously, when you get into these partials, it’s one of the reasons why we didn’t push for a partial – we’ll take it because it’s better than nothing – but one of the reasons why didn’t we push – why we didn’t push for a partial, because there’s always disputes about what are you hitting and what you’re not hitting. But in the end, this is still a war, and we want it to stop. The fact that religious sites are being hit or energy sites are being hit or civilian sites are being hit, that’s why war is a bad thing, and that’s why the President wants to end it.

As far as them conducting another campaign, well, then that will be a very clear sign, right? If all of a sudden we wake up tomorrow and the Russians are launching a massive offensive, then I think that’s a pretty clear sign they’re not interested in peace. That hasn’t happened yet; let’s hope it doesn’t happen. We want to know whether they want to do peace or not, and if they do, then there’s a way there and we’re willing to help. If they’re not, then it’s good to know early so we can adjust our policies accordingly.

MODERATOR: All right, everybody, thank you so much.

SECRETARY RUBIO: All right. Thank you, guys.

MODERATOR: And thank you, guys.

# # #

Washington D.C. Secretary Rubio met with Mr. Kirill in Washington D.C.

The Week at State: March 28 – April 3, 2025
04/04/2025

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March 28 – April 3

April 4 marks 76 years since NATO's founding. The U.S. remains deeply engaged—urging Allies to boost defense spending and strengthen our shared commitment to peace.

Here's what happened at State this week. ⤵️🏆 We honored the 2025 International Women of Courage Award winners for their strength and leadership in advocating for women and girls.
✈️ Secretary Rubio traveled to Brussels for the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
🌎 We celebrated the release of Faye Hall, who had been detained in Afghanistan.


Honoring Courageous Women

Secretary Rubio and First Lady Melania Trump pose for a picture with the recipients of the 2025 International Women of Courage Award at the Department of State in Washington April 1, 2025. (State Dept./Freddie Everett)

On April 1, we hosted the 19th annual International Women of Courage Award ceremony, recognizing this year's eight remarkable winners. These women from around the globe have demonstrated exceptional courage, strength, and leadership — often at great personal risk and sacrifice.

Secretary Rubio led the ceremony along with First Lady Melania Trump, celebrating the honorees for the defense of human rights, advocacy for survivors of violence, and promotion of peace in their communities.

To learn more about each recipient, listen to the Secretary's remarks from the event or read their stories.



Making Our Transatlantic Partnerships Stronger to Keep Americans Safe

Secretary Rubio greets the USNATO staff at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, April 3, 2025. (State Dept./Freddie Everett)

"A strong NATO Alliance makes the world safer, but it requires each and every member to step up." - Secretary Rubio

From April 3 to 4, Secretary Rubio attended his first NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting as Secretary of State. Newly confirmed U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker welcomed the Secretary to Brussels and introduced him to U.S. Mission staff. Secretary Rubio also met with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Throughout his engagements with foreign leaders, the Secretary underscored key U.S. security priorities: Advancing equitable burden sharing across the Alliance
Enhancing collective security by increasing member defense spending to 5%
Strengthening Indo-Pacific partnerships against China's unfair trade policies
Securing lasting peace in Ukraine

"Peace isn't free. It's time for our Allies to increase defense spending," Secretary Rubio said on X.


Bringing Americans Home

This past weekend, we welcomed home Faye Hall, a U.S. citizen released from detention in Afghanistan. We are grateful to the Government of Qatar and the European Union delegation in Kabul for their support.

"We will not rest until all Americans detained in Afghanistan, and held hostage around the world, are brought home," Secretary Rubio shared on X.

Under President Trump's leadership, we remain steadfast in our commitment to bring home all Americans detained abroad.


News You May Have MissedSecretary Rubio traveled to the Caribbean to continue combating transnational crime, illegal immigration, and strengthening economic partnerships.
Spokesperson Tammy Bruce shared her big takeaway for the week, highlighting the importance of diplomacy.
The United States responded to the needs of earthquake-affected communities in Burma.
We transferred individuals from the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 organizations to El Salvador in a successful counterterrorism operation.

Looking AheadApril 13: World Expo 2025 begins in Osaka, Japan
April 23-30: Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust
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