U.S. Department of State,update

 

Secretary Rubio’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Lammy 08/04/2025 Secretary Rubio’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Lammy 08/04/2025 05:11 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Rubio’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Lammy hide Secretary Rubio’s Call with UK Foreign Secretary Lammy Readout August 4, 2025 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce:  Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.  The Secretary and Foreign Secretary Lammy discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and efforts to reach a ceasefire – despite Hamas’s obstructionism – and bring the hostages home.  On the Russia-Ukraine war, both the Secretary and Foreign Secretary agreed the war must be brought to an end.  Both the Secretary and Foreign Secretary reiterated their commitment to ensuring that Iran never develops or acquires a nuclear weapon. They also discussed the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Tags Bilateral Relations and Engagement Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State United Kingdom Secretary Rubio’s Call with French Foreign Minister Barrot 08/04/2025 Secretary Rubio’s Call with French Foreign Minister Barrot 08/04/2025 06:43 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Rubio’s Call with French Foreign Minister Barrot hide Secretary Rubio’s Call with French Foreign Minister Barrot Readout August 4, 2025 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce: Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot. The Secretary and Foreign Minister Barrot reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring Iran never develops or acquires a nuclear weapon. They also discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza and efforts to reach a ceasefire, ending the Russia-Ukraine war, securing peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Tags Bilateral Relations and Engagement Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs France Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Swiss President Keller-Sutter 08/06/2025 Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Swiss President Keller-Sutter 08/06/2025 12:07 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Swiss President Keller-Sutter hide Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Swiss President Keller-Sutter Readout August 6, 2025 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce: Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter and Vice President and Minister of Economy Guy Parmelin today to discuss the importance of a fair and balanced trade relationship that benefits the American people. They also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defense cooperation. Tags Bilateral Relations and Engagement Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Switzerland Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric Before Their Meeting 08/06/2025 Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric Before Their Meeting 08/06/2025 12:40 PM EDT Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. Treaty Room HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric Before Their Meeting hide Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric Before Their Meeting Remarks August 6, 2025 QUESTION:  Mr. Secretary, will Russian sanctions still go into effect later this week after the Witkoff meeting with President Putin? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Thank you.  We’ll have more to say about that later on today.  (Inaudible.)  Ambassador Witkoff’s on his way back now.  We – I just got off the phone with him a few minutes ago.  We’ll have some other discussions throughout the day, and then hopefully there’ll be some announcements here fairly soon.  Maybe positive, maybe not.  We’ll see. Thank you. QUESTION:  Did Russia agree to a ceasefire? Tags Bilateral Relations and Engagement Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Office of the Spokesperson Russia Sanctions and Designations The Secretary of State Serbia Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Djuric 08/06/2025 Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Djuric 08/06/2025 01:31 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Djuric hide Secretary Rubio’s Meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Djuric Readout August 6, 2025 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce: Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric. They agreed the United States and Serbia would hold a bilateral strategic dialogue later this year to deepen economic and security ties. They also discussed the importance of de-escalating tensions in the Western Balkans, particularly with Kosovo and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to advance regional stability and set the stage for economic growth and prosperity. The United States is committed to a mutually beneficial relationship with Serbia that delivers for our citizens and our interests. Tags Bilateral Relations and Engagement Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Serbia Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Larry Kudlow of Fox Business Network 08/06/2025 Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Larry Kudlow of Fox Business Network 08/06/2025 06:14 PM EDT Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Larry Kudlow of Fox Business Network hide Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Larry Kudlow of Fox Business Network Interview August 6, 2025 QUESTION:  All right, it gives us great pleasure – joining us, Secretary of State Marco Rubio.  Mr. Secretary, a warm welcome.  Thank you for coming on.  We appreciate it.  And lots going on today.  The meetings with Russia.  Let me start – Mr. Trump on Truth Social:  “My Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff… highly productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Great progress was made!”  The New York Times and other outlets are suggesting a meeting, but it isn’t clear whether there’s a meeting with President Trump and Putin or whether Zelenskyy is part of the meeting. Let’s begin there.  What can you tell us, Mr. Secretary? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, Steve went over to Moscow yesterday – Steve Witkoff, Ambassador Witkoff – and had a productive meeting in terms of what was discussed.  The details, perhaps, hadn’t been shared before in terms of some ideas of how to bring this war to an end.  Let’s remind everybody that’s the goal here.  The President wants to end the war.  So it was productive in that sense.  We now have to continue to make progress. The President, after getting that update today, convened several leaders from Europe, updated them on the – what happened in the talks.  We’re going to be having talks with our European allies and the Ukrainians as well over the next couple of days just to see what we – what progress we can make on that side of it.  And then hopefully, if things continue to progress, an opportunity will present itself very soon for the President to meet both with Vladimir Putin and with President Zelenskyy at some point here, hopefully in the near future – but obviously a lot has to happen before that can occur. But I’ve always believed – I’ve always said this – that I don’t think – I think for the deal – if there’s going to be a deal to end this war, it will have to require the President to come in at the end and close on it, as I’ve seen him do numerous times now on trade deals as an example.  So we’ve got to get close enough to that point so that a meeting like that will be productive and worth doing.  Today was a good day but we got a lot of work ahead.  There’s still many impediments to overcome, and we hope to do that over the next few days and hours – weeks maybe. QUESTION:  Secretary, when Putin talks about ending the war, what did – help me out.  What does that mean, ending the war?  Is that a ceasefire, which has been called for and he never delivered on that?  A troop withdrawal?  Is there a peace deal at hand?  I don’t want to get ahead of the story, but I often ask what – what does ending the war mean to Vladimir Putin? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah.  Well, without getting into the details of what was discussed, because I don’t want to imperil the progress that was made today and I don’t want to exaggerate it either, but I think we all understand a couple things.  At some point a ceasefire has to be a part of this process because it is hard to negotiate details of a final peace agreement while you’re shooting at each other.  So I think you have to make enough progress with enough of an outline of how the war’s going to end that then, ideally, puts you into a ceasefire position for a short period of time and you use that time to finalize an end to the war.  But I do think you’ve got to come a long way in understanding how you end the war. The second point that you raise is I think the key elements of any end to the war are going to be territorial.  There are areas that Russia has taken that they currently control, and that includes Crimea that goes back all the way to 2014, and some other areas they’ve made some advances, so that.  And then there are – so obviously there are – anytime you’re going to make a deal there’s going have to be concessions; there’s going to have to be concessions by the Russians and concessions by the Ukrainians, of course, as well.  So that’s tough. This is tough.  When you have a war and people have died – for example, on the Ukrainian side they’ve paid an enormous price in this war.  So have the Russians, but the Ukrainians have paid a big price in this war.  Those concessions aren’t easy.  You have to also sell them to the public back in your country.  But I think what I can say is everybody wants the war to end.  I think the conditions under which it’s supposed to end is – that’s always the hard part in this.  But today was a good day but there’s a lot of work to – I don’t want to exaggerate.  We still have a ways to go here but we certainly are closer today then we were yesterday, where we weren’t close at all. QUESTION:  Is Ambassador Witkoff, Steve Witkoff, coming back with a ceasefire proposal? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yes. QUESTION:  Is that a ceasefire on Thursday, a ceasefire on Friday, a ceasefire on Monday?  Is that in the cards?  Was that discussed at this meeting? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I don’t know about timing in terms of that.  That’s – the specific timing of it is not discussed.  I think what we have is a better understanding of the conditions under which Russia would be prepared to end the war.  We now have to compare that to what the Ukrainians and our European allies, but the Ukrainians primarily, of course, are willing to accept.  And what you try to see is how far can you get these two positions closer?  How can you get these two positions closer to each other?  If we can get what the Ukrainians will accept and what the Russians will accept close enough, then I think there’s the opportunity for the President to have a meeting that includes both Putin and Zelenskyy to try to close this thing out.  So we’ve got to get closer in that regard.  But I think for the first time, perhaps since this administration began, we have some concrete examples of the kinds of things that Russia would ask for in order to end the war.  We haven’t had much of that to this point.  Obviously the Ukrainians have a say in this.  We got to – we got to bring the two sides and the two positions close enough so that the ultimate closer, President Trump, can get involved and make it happen. QUESTION:  Will President Trump and yourself, for that matter, will you still impose the secondary sanctions on Russia Friday? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, that’s a decision the President will need to make here over the next 24 to 36 hours.  A lot of it’ll depend on how talks – the works we’re going to be doing over the next couple of days, progress.  And then, ultimately, it’ll be the President’s call in terms of whether he still thinks sanctions need to go in place or not in place pending this thing being moved forward on.  So I don’t want to prejudge that.  I don’t think we’re at a stage yet where the President has to make that decision.  He’ll have to make that decision by Friday.  But we’re going to be doing a lot of work today and tomorrow to see how close we can bring the two sides, and then present that to the President and let him make a decision. QUESTION:  Do you expect President Trump to be on the phone with Putin in the next how many hours? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Maybe.  None is scheduled at this time.  It could happen over the next couple of days.  It could happen, but none is scheduled at this time.  But I do think that the talks that Ambassador Witkoff had with Putin and his team over the last few hours is good because we now have a sense at least of what it is they would require.  Now, it may not be what Ukraine can accept, but at least it gives us an outline to work off of, and now we’ve got to see how much we can move the two sides towards each other. So, but there’s no call scheduled right now, and I imagine – I think what all sides would like to see is if we can make enough progress, we’ll have a meeting, and I think it’ll take that kind of meeting to bring this thing to an end.  QUESTION:  And you think, Secretary, that a meeting, quote/unquote, either a meeting with Putin or a meeting with the three of them, would occur next week?  Are you optimistic about that?  Yourself included, I suppose.  I don’t want to shortchange our Secretary of State.  But do you think a meeting will come next week?  SECRETARY RUBIO:  (Laughter.)  I don’t know if it’ll be next week or not.  It remains to be seen.  I think it’ll depend a lot on how much progress we can make.  I don’t – again, this is important in the sense that we think what happened was good because we have a sense now of what conditions the Russians would require in order to end the war.  Now, they may not be the conditions Ukraine can accept or, frankly, that others would accept.  But at least we have something to work off of. So I think a lot of that is going to depend now on how close can we bring the two sides to each other – can we make enough progress, can we get 85 percent of the way there, 75 percent of the way there.  Because I don’t think you can have a leaders-level meeting if you’re not close enough, because then nothing is going to come of that meeting.  So we want to get it close enough, and then we’ve got – we want to give the President the opportunity to come in and close it.  So I can’t prejudge how long that could take.  It could take hours, it could take days – frankly, it could take weeks.  We don’t know.  But we’re going to try here.  We’re working on it even as we speak. QUESTION:  One last one, Mr. Secretary, before I lose you.  And we appreciate your time so much.  Lots of talk coming out of the Middle East.  The Government of Israel might engage in a military takeover of all of Gaza, the remaining parts of Gaza they don’t already control.  Have you spoken to the prime minister, and do you think that is a wise decision for Israel to take over Gaza altogether? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, ultimately the President has said that it’s up to Israel to decide what they need to do for their own security.  I’ve spoken often – almost daily – to somebody in the Israeli Government, often to the prime minister but many times to many members of his team.  Here’s what I would say.  There are three problems going on there, and they’re all interrelated.  The first is there is a humanitarian problem that needs to be addressed.  We’re working very hard to figure out ways to address it in ways that doesn’t benefit Hamas but that allows people to be fed and prevents a further humanitarian problem there that we’re seeing now.  The second is that there are 20 innocent human beings that are being held hostage in horrifying conditions. And the third is that as long as Hamas exists, there will not be peace.  There cannot be a permanent peace.  It’ll restart again if Hamas remains.  There’s a lot of attention being paid to the humanitarian, and we want to do everything we can to be helpful on the humanitarian problem, but not enough attention being paid to the fact that 20 people that had nothing to do with this are being held hostage in tunnels on the verge of death, and no real talk about how Hamas needs to be disarmed and disbanded.  We have to focus more on those two things.  You have to do all three, and all the talk is about humanitarian – which is important; we are willing to do a lot to be helpful there – but we have to focus on the other two.  Those other two cannot be forgotten.  And it’s all – the President has said he wants all the hostages out – not five, not seven, all of them, including the deceased hostages.  And ultimately, Hamas cannot continue to exist.  Even the Arab League says it.  As long as Hamas exists as an armed group in Gaza, there will not be a peace – there will not be a peaceful future, because it’s going to happen again.  And that can’t – this can never happen again.  QUESTION:  All right.  Secretary of State Marco Rubio, we appreciate what you’ve told us and we appreciate your coming onto the show very much.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  Thank you. QUESTION:  Take care, sir.  God bless. Tags Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Hamas Israel Media Engagement Office of the Spokesperson Russia Russia-Ukraine War Sanctions and Designations The Secretary of State Situation in the Middle East Ukraine Sanctioning Facilitators of Iran Sanctions Circumvention and Political Oppression 08/07/2025 Sanctioning Facilitators of Iran Sanctions Circumvention and Political Oppression 08/07/2025 03:10 PM EDT Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Sanctioning Facilitators of Iran Sanctions Circumvention and Political Oppression hide Sanctioning Facilitators of Iran Sanctions Circumvention and Political Oppression Press Statement August 7, 2025 Today, the United States is designating 18 entities and individuals facilitating the Islamic Republic of Iran’s evasion of U.S. sanctions and continued repression of the Iranian people.  Targets include financial and information technology (IT) firms, including one company that has enabled Iran’s security services to restrict ordinary Iranians’ internet access. The United States will continue to deny Iran access to the international financial system as long as the regime persists in its destabilizing activities in the Middle East and around the world.  We will use all available tools to combat Iran’s attempts to circumvent sanctions and repatriate illicit foreign revenue. We emphasize that all transactions with sanctioned entities, including Iranian financial institutions, bring exposure to significant sanctions risks. The United States promotes accountability for those who seek to undermine international peace and security as well as human rights. Today’s action is being taken by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13902, which targets Iran’s financial and petroleum and petrochemical sectors.  This action implements National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which orders a campaign of maximum economic pressure on Iran.  For more information, please refer to Treasury’s Press Releases. Tags Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Economy and Trade Policy Iran Office of the Spokesperson Sanctions and Designations The Secretary of State Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN’s The World Over 08/07/2025 Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN’s The World Over 08/07/2025 10:28 PM EDT Marco Rubio, Secretary of State Washington, D.C. State Department Mezzanine HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN’s The World Over hide Secretary of State Marco Rubio with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN’s The World Over Interview August 7, 2025 QUESTION:  This is your 200th day, by the way, of the administration. SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah. QUESTION:  Which we’ll talk about more. SECRETARY RUBIO:  But my first interview on this mezzanine; I’ve never done it before.  I’ve — QUESTION:  You’ve never done it — SECRETARY RUBIO:  No.  I’ve seen people do media reports for years from here, with the background. QUESTION:  Yes.  But you – SECRETARY RUBIO:  And now I get to do one myself. QUESTION:  You’ve never done an interview here? SECRETARY RUBIO:  No.  Not in this place. QUESTION:  Wow.  I love that – well, it’s the perfect backdrop, and fitting for a day of celebration. Mr. Secretary, you are the Secretary of State, the acting secretary of USAID, the acting secretary of the Archives, and you’re the National Security Advisor.  My first question is: (a) How do you balance all that?  And secondly, have you seen your wife in person in six months? SECRETARY RUBIO:  I have.  I saw her in person today, actually. QUESTION:  Oh, you see that? SECRETARY RUBIO:  So not bad at all, yeah.  Well, USAID is largely folded now – the foreign aid part of it is under the State Department now.  So, it assumes that responsibility.  That really is where it always should have been.  The National Security Advisor and the Secretary of State roles are very intertwined.  In many cases, it’s the same issue.  Of course, it’s always funny to read a memo from the Secretary of State to the National Security Advisor – and so consider him informed. QUESTION:  (Laughter.)  That’s right.  You have an insight into — SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah, exactly. QUESTION:  In a deep, personal way. SECRETARY RUBIO:  And then on the Archives, of the ones, it probably takes the least amount of time.  But the good news is we haven’t lost any historic documents, so – they’re all in place.  They’re all there.  (Laughter.) QUESTION:  This is always a good thing.  Well, the other piece of this is – describe to people very briefly – the national security advisor, in times past, that individual and the secretary of state often were at loggerheads.  And it become a drag at times on the policy being advanced. SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah, sure. QUESTION:  Was that part of the thinking here, let’s consolidate this to — SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I’m not sure that was the thinking per se.  The President had made a decision about making a change, and he wanted the National Security Council restructured and tasked me to do it, and then that’s what we’ve done.  And so, what – look, the way to think about it is our agencies, our cabinet – Senate-confirmed cabinet members in Treasury, at the Department of Defense, at State, et cetera – that’s our orchestra.  And the job of the National Security Advisor is to be the conductor of the orchestra, to make sure that everyone – the President picks the music, the instruments play off the same sheet, and it’s the job of the conductor to make sure everyone’s playing – that every instrument’s playing correctly and playing together.  So, it’s sort of a coordinating role. QUESTION:  Big news this week:  Steve Witkoff, your ambassador, goes – special envoy – met with Vladimir Putin.  There’s now going to be a meeting between the President and Vladimir Putin.  What do you expect from that meeting?  What are you hearing, and what’s been your contact with Zelenskyy? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, yeah.  So hopefully there’s a meeting.  And I think the President’s willing to have one; I think Putin indicated a willingness to have one.  Obviously, the meeting has to be about something.  We’re going to have to make some progress here before a meeting like that would be fruitful and worth doing.  And so, for the first — QUESTION:  Did Putin offer anything to Witkoff? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, let me just say that, obviously, I’m not going to get into the details of everything that was discussed there.  But for the first time in this process there’s at least some understanding of what the Russians would need in order to settle, to stop this war, from a diplomatic standpoint.  Now, I’m not claiming that what the Russians would need and what Ukraine would need are the same. QUESTION:  Right. SECRETARY RUBIO:  There’s a difference, and there’s a gap there.  And the question for us now is can – and we’ll be working on that even today, like, as soon as I leave here – can we bridge the gap between the Ukrainian side and the Russian side on this close enough so the President can come in as part of any sort of meeting and maybe be the closer on this deal. QUESTION:  Has any – I mean, did they talk about a ceasefire?  Is that in the — SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I don’t think they’re specific about – obviously, the goal here is to end the war completely.  Now, you could talk about the notion that it’s very difficult to negotiate details of a peace if you’re still shooting at each other.  You – we’ve always found, like, for example, very recently now with Thailand and Cambodia, the talks in Malaysia were about a ceasefire so they could then negotiate sort of a more permanent deal.  But as long as you’re shooting at each other, it’s hard to negotiate peace permanently. QUESTION:  So that’s going to have to be a precursor to any — SECRETARY RUBIO:  We’ve always felt it is.  QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  Like, look, if we can arrive at a final deal and it’s over completely, that would be great.  We’d prefer that – a permanent ceasefire. QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  But sometimes you need an interim ceasefire simply to get everybody to the table and to talk.  Because I’ve seen in the past you have talks going on, something blows up somewhere, and people just walk away from the table. QUESTION:  Yeah, yeah.  Let’s hope that doesn’t happen this time. The president of Switzerland was here yesterday.  She flies in, emergency meeting, to meet with you, trying to head off these 39 percent tariffs that are coming her way.  It looks like she didn’t get a reprieve from those. SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I certainly don’t do the trade negotiations, although I’ve been in many of them, but I’m not the person in charge of that.  That’s our team of Howard Lutnick and Jamieson Greer and Scott Bessent that have been doing that, and ultimately the President. QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  So, they came in to make a counteroffer, or a new offer, to our trade negotiators.  And as part of that, they’re in town, we definitely want to talk about – they’re a very – they’re a good ally.  They’re a good partner to the United States. QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  From a bilateral, diplomatic, geopolitical standpoint.  But obviously, the issue of trade came up, and I encouraged them to make the best offer possible.  In the end, every successful trade deal so far has been the President coming in to close it.  So, you can get a deal close enough, but then you’ve got to sit in front of him – whether it’s their president, their prime minister, or their chief trade negotiator – and close it out with the President. QUESTION:  There was something you did early on, in February, I think.  Your State Department designated six cartels — SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah. QUESTION:  — in Latin America as terrorist organizations.  How did that change the way, the interaction between these cartels and the United States, and who made that decision?  How did the President come to that? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, the President makes the decision – yeah – on our recommendation.  Here’s the thing:  We cannot continue to just treat these guys as local street gangs.  They have weaponry that looks like what terrorists, in some cases armies, have.  They control territory in many cases.  Those cartels extend from the Maduro regime in Venezuela – which is not a legitimate government; we don’t recognize the Maduro regime as legitimate. QUESTION:  Right. SECRETARY RUBIO:  It is a criminal enterprise – all the way to the various different cartels that operate in Mexico, and in between.  You find them in Ecuador.  You find them in Guatemala.  You find TDA – what people would call street gangs, but actually are operating as criminal enterprises, but very well-organized ones.  So what it changes is it gives us legal authorities to target them in ways you can’t do if they’re just a bunch of criminals.  It’s no longer a law enforcement issue.  It becomes a national security issue. QUESTION:  Has it changed their behavior at all? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I don’t know if it’s changed their behavior yet, but their behavior is going to have to change one way or another.  But it allows us to now target what they’re operating and to use other elements of American power, intelligence agencies, the Department of Defense, whatever — QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  — to target these groups if we have an opportunity to do it.  We have to start treating them as armed terrorist organizations, not simply drug dealing organizations.  Drug dealing is the kind of terrorism they’re doing, and it’s not the only. QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  They’re also into human trafficking.  They smuggle anything.  And there’s been nascent cooperation between them and some international terrorist organizations in the past which pose an ongoing danger to the United States. QUESTION:  Let’s talk for a moment about the Israeli-Gaza-Hamas conflict.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah. QUESTION:  It looks like Benjamin Netanyahu is – wants to occupy Gaza, and Hamas is saying there’ll be no ceasefire – we need a ceasefire, and we’re not giving you these hostages until our terms are met.  Where is the United States on this?  Is occupation of Gaza the right way to go right now?  And what about the humanitarian crisis? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, let me say ultimately what Israel needs to do for Israel’s security will be determined by Israel.  I can tell you the way to break this out is there are three problems there at the same time.  Number one is the one that’s getting almost all the media coverage, and this is the humanitarian problems that we’re seeing there.  And there – no one wants to see that, and the United States stands prepared to contribute toward any real effort that will actually get food and medicine and life-sustaining aid to people on the ground in Gaza.  That’s number one.  The second is that there are 20 innocent people being held hostage and starved inside of tunnels.  Unfortunately, there aren’t daily cameras down there covering that, and so you don’t see the mainstream media covering it – but there are 20 people that have nothing wrong that are being held as hostage, and we saw the conditions that they’re living in the other day. And the third is that as long as Hamas exists – as long as Hamas exists, particularly exists as an armed organization – there will never be peace in Gaza.  Because that – Hamas is not going to suddenly change and go into another line of work.  Their line of work, their reason for existing, is they want to destroy Israel.  They want to drive every Jew out of the Middle East.  That’s their goal.  And as long as a group like that has weapons and the ability to fight, they’re a threat to peace. So, we have to deal with all three of those elements, not just the humanitarian.  That’s important, but the other two have to be dealt with as well.  Not enough time is being – not enough attention is being paid to those two.  And it’s not easy, because Hamas thinks they’re winning the global PR war.  They’re not willing to make any concessions.  QUESTION:  Well, clearly they’re winning something.  Your allies – Canada, France, the UK — SECRETARY RUBIO:  Right. QUESTION:  — are prepared to recognize the Palestinian state there. SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, if you noticed, the talks with Hamas fell apart on the day Macron made the unilateral decision that he’s going to recognize the Palestinian state.  And then you have other people come forward, other countries say, well, if there’s not a ceasefire by September, we’re going to recognize a Palestinian state.  Well, if I’m Hamas, I’ve basically concluded let’s not do a ceasefire.  QUESTION:  Right. SECRETARY RUBIO:  Because we can be rewarded and we can claim it as a victory.  So those messages, while largely symbolic in their minds, actually have made it harder to get peace and harder to achieve a deal with Hamas.  They feel emboldened.  QUESTION:  Well, the Arab League isn’t in favor of this.  I mean, clearly the Arab League says you’ve got to get Hamas out of there.  They need to drop arms and move on.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  Correct.  QUESTION:  But do you agree with Netanyahu that this would be a reward for Hamas? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Statehood? QUESTION:  By giving them statehood? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Recognition – absolutely.  Look, statehood is a – it’s not a real – what these people talk about isn’t real.  They can’t define the borders or who’s going to run it.  I mean, you can’t have a state or even an autonomous region unless you can identify who’s going to run it.  And if it’s going to be run by Hamas, you’re going to be right back into war. QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  So, I think what’s important to remember here is that – by the way, they had opportunities to do this.  Israel turned over Gaza, turned it over completely with greenhouses and all kinds of things.  And they elected Hamas.  Hamas destroyed it, destroyed it all, took it, built tunnels instead of hospitals.  That’s what they do.  So, at the end of the day my problem with it is that I believe that these unilateral steps that have been taken by these governments, I believe – I know – has emboldened Hamas and made it harder to achieve peace. QUESTION:  Your department recently made headlines.  You are instituting a pilot plan where people who are coming to the country to visit – when they file for their visa, they have to leave a bond of $10,000, $5,000 for children.  Why are you instituting this?  And is this going to help people actually go back to their country?  I know that’s — SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah, a couple – it’s not for every country.  It’s for countries that have high rates of visa overstays.  What generally happens is people will get a visa, they come to the U.S., it expires in six months, and they don’t leave.  Now they’re here illegally.  Very common; it happened a lot.  In fact, I would say at one point – I don’t know what the latest numbers are – but more than half the people in this country illegally were visa overstays.  So, for countries that have high rates of visa overstay, you post a bond, and the bond gets collected against.  And obviously the – and so obviously now some third party is going to try to verify whether this person is truly going to come back or not.  But it – I’m not saying it solves all the problem, but it’s an innovative way to sort of cut down on visa overstays. QUESTION:  There’s been a huge challenge in the issuance of visas to foreign-born Catholic priests and religious.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  Correct, yeah. QUESTION:  I know it’s bollocksed up in fraud in unaccompanied minor visas.  Now, I don’t know how those two became conflated.  I think the Biden administration attached them or threw them into the same category.  What can be done? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, first is to separate the one from the other.  And in many cases, what you were finding is you had X number of people you were going to allow a year.  You prioritized people that were coming here from a different migration and it came at the price of some of these others.  QUESTION:  I see. SECRETARY RUBIO:  So, we’re trying to separate the two from it and create its own standalone process.  And I’ve been in touch, for example, with a number of our cardinals here in the United States and bishops about that as well.  QUESTION:  I’ll bet. SECRETARY RUBIO:  And it’s not only the Catholic Church.  I mean, there are other places that are being impacted by – but we’re trying to streamline that process.  We clearly view that entry point as very different than some of these others.  And – but when you basically say there’s a hundred available – I’m just using that number. QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:   And you’re – the pot is that big, someone’s going to lose out.  I mean, you start losing slots, and that includes religious. QUESTION:  Would you be in favor of extending those special visas that some of the religious and priests have now? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Potentially.  I mean, we’re going to look at it.  We’re looking at every option.  Look, we don’t want to read headlines that some Catholic church had to close because —    QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  — it couldn’t get their priests here or they couldn’t get – some order closed because some nun couldn’t get here.  So we’re not interested in that.  QUESTION:  Yeah.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  And that’s really not the aim here.  It’s more caught up in the structure of it.  We’ll have a plan to fix it.  We’re working on it.  We know it’s an issue, and we’re committed to fixing it.  QUESTION:  The Immigration and Nationality Act allows you as Secretary of State to revoke student visas if they’re engaged in – I’m going to quote – speech that “compromises a compelling foreign policy interest,” and you can revoke a visa from a student for any reason.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  Correct.  And we have.  QUESTION:  And you can because of the antisemitism being expressed and other toxic speech that undermines foreign policy objectives of the United States.  Now you’re being sued by Stanford newspaper and a free speech activist group.  Where do you stand on this now? SECRETARY RUBIO:  They’re wrong.  I mean, anybody can sue.  QUESTION:  They say it’s a First Amendment violation.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, it has nothing to do with what their opinion is.  It has to do what the impact of it has on the United States.  Let’s remember again – student visas, okay, are not a right.  There is no constitutional right to a student visa.  A student visa is something we decide to give you.  And by the way, visas of every kind are denied every day all over the world.  As I speak to you now, someone’s visa application to the U.S. is being denied.  So, if I would have denied you a visa had I known something about you, and I find out afterwards that I gave you a visa and I found this out about you, why wouldn’t I be able to revoke your visa?  If I wouldn’t have let you in had I known this – like if this guy, Khalil – whatever his last name is. QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  If that guy had been saying and doing abroad what he’s now doing in the United States, we never would have given him a visa.  He was on TV, I think it was yesterday or the day before —    QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  — arguing that October 7th had to happen – that it had happen – that it was a necessary evil that – he didn’t call it an evil.  QUESTION:  Yeah.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  He said it’s a necessary thing; it had to happen.  Why is a guy like that allowed into the United States on a visa?  He’s not entitled to a visa.  So, it has nothing to do with what they’re saying.  It has to do with what they’re doing and its implications on the U.S.  Student visas are a privilege.  They are not a right.  QUESTION:  I want to talk about this day.  We – as we sit here, it’s the 200th day of the administration.  Major and, for the most part, unrecognized peace deals that you all have worked out in the —   SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah. QUESTION:  I mean, the Cambodia deal, the Congo deal.  I want you to talk briefly about those.  Forty-nine Christians were killed by Islamic extremists.  More Christians are killed in Nigeria than anyplace on Earth. SECRETARY RUBIO:  Correct. QUESTION:  What else can we and should we be doing to stop that?   SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, unfortunately in those places, you have these Islamist jihadist elements operating inside the country that deliberately target Christian communities and others, but they target Christians, especially in Nigeria, as you pointed out.  And so, I think what we want to do is work closely with Nigerian authorities to prevent that.  They have to make it a priority to prevent it.  QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  On the broader issue of peace, the President is committed to peace and committed to being the President of peace.  And so, we saw when India and Pakistan went to war, we got involved directly, and the President was able to deliver on that peace.  Cambodia and Thailand more recently; Azerbaijan and Armenia, hopefully – we’re taping this here today, but on Friday of this week, we’ll be here to sign an agreement and the beginning of a peace deal there.  DRC-Rwanda – a 30-year war, 7 million people killed – we were able to bring them here to sign it.  Obviously, work needs to – peace is not permanent.  It always has to be worked and maintained.  QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  But we’re very proud of those initiatives, and we’re looking for more – obviously, the big one being in Ukraine and Russia.  QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  We want to see that as well.  But we dedicate a significant amount of time to stopping and ending wars.  QUESTION:  And what’s the difference between what you all are doing – what you’re doing at this State Department and the President’s leadership – as opposed to these conflicts that dragged on during the last administration (inaudible)?  SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I think the biggest is the President’s direct involvement.  One thing is – we get involved.  We help with the technical aspects of it, the mechanics, and we do a lot.  I mean, it’s a team effort.  The Vice President has been involved in some – Steve Witkoff, obviously.  It’s another when the President is calling directly and saying in some cases to countries: we have this trade thing we’re working on with you, but we can’t do it if you guys are going to be fighting a war with each other.  So that personal engagement by the President that I’ve witnessed, particularly just very recently with Cambodia and Thailand —   QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  — that, I think, made all the difference in the world – certainly expedited.  Understand that – from the time he made the first call to the time they stopped firing at each other was about 36 hours.  Usually, these things take six weeks – not with President Trump.  QUESTION:  Give me a sense.  You were there in the room when he was launching those attacks on Iran.  You were there, I imagine.  Describe to me how the President walks through these moment-by-moment decisions when the national security and the national prestige is on the line. SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I think you make a determination that we have a target identified.  The first thing to understand about that operation it was very – it was very defined.  In essence —  QUESTION:  Targeted.  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  It was targeted.  It wasn’t about starting a broader war.  It was actually an effort to escalate in order to de-escalate.  It had a very clear objective.  He established the objective.  His military planners offered him a timeline, and then there were checkpoints along that timeline where we had to go back and check with the President:  Are you okay?  Are you okay?  QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  All of those thresholds were crossed.  It happened very calmly.  Now, he was President before, so he’s been through this in the past.  QUESTION:  Yeah.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  But it was executed on, and then we were done.  He wasn’t tempted to say let’s go back and do it again or let’s do more or let’s find some other place.  QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  He had a very clear objective in mind, and he achieved it.  And we immediately pivoted now to our goal was: okay, we achieved this objective, now how do we end this war —   QUESTION:  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  — on the 12th day and not let it become a regional war after 21? QUESTION:  Yeah.  You were in Rome during the Pope’s installation – the new Pope – Pope Leo’s installation.  Give me a sense of how now, as Secretary of State, what’s – has the relationship at all changed or shifted from Pope Francis’s reign to that of Pope Leo?  What did you see in person from the man himself? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well – well, it was – when I interact with leaders in the Catholic Church, they’re almost invariably from some other country, especially at that level.  So, it was almost surreal to sort of interact with an American that’s sitting across the table, because you’re not used to that when it comes to – at that level, obviously.  QUESTION:  Right.  And they get the nuance and the speech and the things — SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah, and they understand our history, our politics, our culture, what’s going on here, things of this nature.  They know – in many cases maybe they don’t know too much about you.  When it’s an American, I think they know a lot more about you because they follow it (inaudible). QUESTION:  Right.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  So, all that was unique, obviously.  But I would say that right now, the – it’s been new, and the papacy has only been there for less than a hundred days. QUESTION:  Yeah.  Yeah. SECRETARY RUBIO:  So, I think that’s still establishing itself, and he’ll have to make decisions about – so right now I don’t – I think it’s good and we have good communication.  We’ve talked to the church, for example, extensively about Gaza.  When a church was attacked there, we were able to facilitate visits there.  There’s a cardinal now that’s in Gaza at that church permanently, I think – and kind of – I wouldn’t say trapped, but he’s certainly there. QUESTION:  Yeah.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  We’ve been in communication with them on that.  So, it’s a good relationship, but it’s new.  It’s a new papacy.  It’s a new direction.  And I think – again, I’m speculating, because I’m not in the conclave, but I think one of the things that the cardinals probably chose is someone that sort of could provide a period of stability and consistency as the church faces a myriad of challenges around the world and – can both reach out to areas where the church is growing, but also sort of reinvigorate the church in some places where perhaps it’s struggling.  QUESTION:  I remember in 2019 you gave a speech at CUA, just up the street here, Catholic University of America.  And it was on the first – the last Pope Leo and — SECRETARY RUBIO:  Leo – yeah.  Common-good capitalism.  QUESTION:  Common-good capitalism. SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah. QUESTION:  This seems to really resonate with this new Pope.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  I think so.  We didn’t get into depth on it, obviously, but — QUESTION:  Did you talk about it all? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Well, I mentioned it and I made sure they had a copy of it, because the speech was back in 2019.  But I do think that Catholic social doctrine, which is highly intellectual, has a lot to offer even non-Catholics in terms of forming – at the core of it, right, is the belief that – is the market the tool or the purpose?  I don’t think the market is the purpose.  I think the market is a tool.  The purpose is providing people meaningful work, an economy that grows but grows by creating jobs.  We have an expectation that people work, but we also should have an expectation that the economy is creating good work.  And from work, flows everything.  We are made to work, and from work flows everything – stability in families, stability in communities.  So, I think the simplest way to describe it is we are – we believe in capitalism, a capitalism that generates economic growth, an economic growth that creates wealth but doesn’t only create wealth.  It also creates opportunity.  It also creates jobs, it also benefits the common good.  QUESTION:  Now – well, you have a unique – there are articles; I’m not the first to say this.  But I thought when you became Secretary of State, you have a unique opportunity to interface with the Vatican on a level that, frankly, other secretaries have not had in the past because of that experience.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah, look, I think the Vatican could play a very key role in many parts of the world.  They’re actually very skilled diplomatic – diplomatically.  In the end, their number one goal has to be that – I wouldn’t want to call it the national interest of the Vatican, but the church and its presence in different places.  I know they’re deeply concerned, for example, that the church is being heavily persecuted in Nicaragua, as an example.  So, they’re always concerned about the church in China, which has been a point of friction with the U.S. Government in the past.  But I mean, they’re important, and they’ve offered to get involved in any way they can on bringing about peace as a forum or as a facilitator.  So, these are things maybe we’ll be able to work on.  QUESTION:  Yeah.  Very quickly, a couple of cultural things.  Howard Stern looks like he’s losing his show.  Stephen Colbert has lost his show.  What’s happening culturally, and how is this President a part of it? SECRETARY RUBIO:  I don’t know if it’s just culturally.  I think ultimately these are businesses, and the landscape, the media landscape, the way people are getting news, information, and entertainment is rapidly changing across the board.  It’s rapidly changing.  And so, I think we are living in an era in which sort of what we describe or consider traditional media is going to erode in favor of some – I think everyone’s trying to reinvent themselves.  We saw newspapers go through this, we saw other media formats go through this; and I think it’s now finally reaching broadcasters.  And I think that both on radio and television, it’s just a rapidly changing landscape.  The overwhelming – increasingly – majority of people are not getting their news sitting live in front of a program.  They’re getting a clip on social media or they’re getting it from an alternative site that’s providing news and information.  The good news is we have more providers than ever of news and information and entertainment.  The bad news is we have more sources and they’re all over the place.  (Laughter.)  So, I think as much as anything else, the bottom line is that Colbert and Stern – I don’t know the details of it – are being fired because they don’t – their audiences don’t like what they’re offering, and they don’t have a long-term future.  QUESTION:  Final question.  You saw Cynthia Erivo, the Wicked actress, played Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl just this past weekend.  You are an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center.  My question is:  Would you ever put that show with Cynthia Erivo at the Kennedy Center? SECRETARY RUBIO:  Yeah, I didn’t know it – I’m so busy I don’t follow any of this stuff.  (Laughter.)  But just how you’ve described it to me, no.  I mean, obviously, look, that stuff’s done to be provocative and to – but I think for people of faith, none of this should be new.  QUESTION:  Yeah.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  It’s been true from the beginning of Christianity.  It’s been – Christianity has been mocked.  Christianity has been attacked from its very inception.  In fact, the church has traditionally been at its strongest when it’s the persecuted church. QUESTION:  Yes, it is. SECRETARY RUBIO:  It’s been at its weakest when it sort of gets consumed by the culture and – so by definition, Christianity has always been countercultural.  It was from its earliest days, and it’s been at its strongest and most vibrant.  Now, that doesn’t mean we seek persecution or that we don’t take it on, it – but I think we should understand that in Christ’s own command he – in Christ’s own words he tells us:  They’re going to hate you because of me.  They hated me before they hate you.  And — QUESTION:  What will you do when you leave this interview?  What does the rest of your day look like?  SECRETARY RUBIO:  I’m going over to the White House.  We have meetings with the President this morning.  We have a visitor from overseas coming into the White House as well to meet with me, not with the President.  We have to get ready for the peace signing tomorrow, and I’m sure they have other surprises awaiting.  QUESTION:  Oh, I’ll bet.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  And I’m – I actually have to finish here first.  I’ve got to go through some documents here, then run over there, and then I think may have to come back this afternoon again.  So — QUESTION:  Wow.  Well, I hope you see your family very soon.  SECRETARY RUBIO:  (Laughter.)  I’ll see them, yeah.  QUESTION:  Thank you so much.  Tags Bilateral Relations and Engagement Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Cambodia Israel Office of the Spokesperson Palestinian Territories Russia The Secretary of State Thailand Ukraine The Week at State: August 1–7, 2025 08/08/2025 August 1 – 7 President Trump continues to leverage the United States' strength and bargaining power to achieve peace as we mark 200 days of the Administration.  Here’s what happened at State this week. ⤵️ 🏃‍♀️ President Trump established a task force for the 2028 Olympics. 🌍 The U.S. announced that we’re sending $52 million in aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, and Djibouti. 🇺🇸 We celebrated 200 days of wins under the Trump Administration. White House Begins Preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympics President Trump delivers remarks before signing an executive order creating a task force for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics August 5, 2025. (Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) On August 5, President Trump issued an executive order establishing the White House Task Force on the 2028 Summer Olympics. This highlights America’s enduring role as a global leader and premier destination for international engagement, tourism, and sports diplomacy. Chaired by the President and vice-chaired by the Vice President, the task force will coordinate federal efforts to ensure security, transportation, and streamlined entry processes for athletes, officials, and spectators.  This effort reflects the Administration’s dedication to showcasing American pride and hospitality on the global stage. U.S. Provides $52 Million in Emergency Assistance to DRC, Ethiopia, Haiti, and Djibouti We are sending $52 million to the World Food Program (WFP) to deliver emergency food assistance from American farmers and producers to people in need in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, and Djibouti.  The WFP will distribute 12,702 metric tons of food from warehouses in Houston and Djibouti to support 1.9 million vulnerable people.  “The United States is the largest donor of humanitarian food assistance globally,” Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, “and the Department continues to call on other donors to provide additional contributions to address global humanitarian needs.” 200 Days of Promises Kept (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley) After the unprecedented accomplishments of the administration’s first 100 days, the next 100 days has seen President Trump and Secretary Rubio's America First Foreign Policy deliver: A new immigration low at the Southern border. Eight historic trade deals, rebalancing U.S. trade and liberating the economy. America’s AI Action Plan to secure U.S. AI dominance, drive economic competitiveness, and strengthen national security. A historic NATO agreement to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, a foreign policy feat long thought impossible. A plan for the Golden Dome Defense system to protect the U.S. homeland from global missile threats. These and other promises kept are just the beginning, as the Trump Administration continues to do the work of making America great again. News You May Have Missed Secretary Rubio met with Serbian Foreign Minister Djuric on economic and security ties. The Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs reiterated the warning against traveling to Iran. Secretary Rubio met with Swiss President Keller-Sutter to discuss balanced trade and bilateral defense cooperation. Secretary Rubio spoke to Larry Kudlow of Fox Business Network about progress on Russia-Ukraine diplomacy and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.  The United States hosted two meetings to further implement the peace agreement between the DRC and the Republic of Rwanda. Note to Our Readers 📩 We welcome feedback at EmailTeam@state.gov  Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe to The Week at State for weekly updates on important work, activities, and news straight from the State Department. Useful links Travel advisories and updates for U.S. Citizens Did you know that you can invite a State Department official to speak at your school, business, or organization? Learn about what we do through the firsthand experience of one of our representatives.  Read More at State.gov Secretary Rubio’s Call with Prime Minister Mitsotakis 08/08/2025 Secretary Rubio’s Call with Prime Minister Mitsotakis 08/08/2025 11:51 AM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Rubio’s Call with Prime Minister Mitsotakis hide Secretary Rubio’s Call with Prime Minister Mitsotakis Readout August 8, 2025 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce: Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis today regarding the strategic importance of U.S.-Greece energy cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Secretary Rubio reaffirmed the continued strength of the United States’ bilateral relationship with Greece and its role as a key NATO Ally. Tags Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Greece Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan 08/08/2025 Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan 08/08/2025 05:02 PM EDT Marco Rubio, Secretary of State HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan hide Peace Deal Between Armenia and Azerbaijan Press Statement August 8, 2025 The United States celebrates today’s historic peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan. President Trump brought these parties together and brokered a deal that ends decades of conflict. This is an opportunity for both countries to move forward and focus on unlocking the economic potential of the South Caucasus region, which will bring trade deals and prosperity for the American people and both Armenia and Azerbaijan. We congratulate both countries on a new era of peace. Tags Armenia Azerbaijan Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Office of the Spokesperson Peace and Peace Processes The Secretary of State Joint Statement on Protecting American Consumers and Shipping Industries by Defeating the International Maritime Organization’s “Net-Zero Framework” aka Global Carbon Tax 08/12/2025 Joint Statement on Protecting American Consumers and Shipping Industries by Defeating the International Maritime Organization’s “Net-Zero Framework” aka Global Carbon Tax 08/12/2025 12:08 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Joint Statement on Protecting American Consumers and Shipping Industries by Defeating the International Maritime Organization’s “Net-Zero Framework” aka Global Carbon Tax hide Joint Statement on Protecting American Consumers and Shipping Industries by Defeating the International Maritime Organization’s “Net-Zero Framework” aka Global Carbon Tax Media Note August 12, 2025 The text of the following statement was released by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy. Begin Text: President Trump has made it clear that the United States will not accept any international environmental agreement that unduly or unfairly burdens the United States or harms the interests of the American people. This October, members of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are poised to consider the adoption of a so-called “Net-Zero Framework,” aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions from the international shipping sector. Whatever its stated goals, the proposed framework is effectively a global carbon tax on Americans levied by an unaccountable UN organization. These fuel standards would conveniently benefit China by requiring the use of expensive fuels unavailable at global scale. These standards would also preclude the use of proven technologies that fuel global shipping fleets, including lower emissions options where U.S. industry leads such as liquified natural gas (LNG) and biofuels. Under this framework, ships will have to pay fees for failing to meet unattainable fuel standards and emissions targets. These fees will drive up energy and transportation and leisure cruise costs. Even small vessels would incur millions of dollars in fees, directly driving up costs for American consumers. The Trump Administration unequivocally rejects this proposal before the IMO and will not tolerate any action that increases costs for our citizens, energy providers, shipping companies and their customers, or tourists. We will fight hard to protect the American people and their economic interests. Our fellow IMO members should be on notice that we will look for their support against this action and not hesitate to retaliate or explore remedies for our citizens should this endeavor fail. End Text. Tags Aviation and Maritime Transportation Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Economy and Trade Policy International Maritime Organization Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State Secretary Rubio’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov 08/12/2025 Secretary Rubio’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov 08/12/2025 02:28 PM EDT Office of the Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Secretary Rubio’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov hide Secretary Rubio’s Call with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Readout August 12, 2025 The below is attributable to Spokesperson Tammy Bruce: Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov regarding the preparation for the upcoming summit between President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Both sides confirmed their commitment to ensure a successful event. Tags Bilateral Relations and Engagement Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Office of the Spokesperson Russia The Secretary of State U.S. Targets Cryptocurrency Exchange, Offering Rewards Totaling Up to $6 Million 08/14/2025 U.S. Targets Cryptocurrency Exchange, Offering Rewards Totaling Up to $6 Million 08/14/2025 09:04 AM EDT Tammy Bruce, Department Spokesperson HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…U.S. Targets Cryptocurrency Exchange, Offering Rewards Totaling Up to $6 Million hide U.S. Targets Cryptocurrency Exchange, Offering Rewards Totaling Up to $6 Million Press Statement August 14, 2025 Today, the Departments of State and the Treasury are targeting Garantex, a Russian-operated cryptocurrency exchange allegedly used by a wide variety of cybercriminals and cybercrime organizations for money laundering, and its network. The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) is offering two rewards totaling up to $6 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of leaders of Garantex, including up to $5 million for Russian national Aleksandr Mira Serda, a/k/a “Aleksandr Ntifo-Siaw,” and up to $1 million for other key leaders of Garantex. The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is also taking actions to re-designate Garantex and to designate Grinex, a cryptocurrency exchange set up as Garantex’s successor.  OFAC is also designating three of Garantex’s executives and six partner companies in Russia and the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the U.S. Secret Service and FBI, Garantex received hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds and was used to facilitate various crimes, including hacking, ransomware, terrorism, and drug trafficking, often with substantial harm to U.S. victims.  Between April 2019 and March 2025, Garantex processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions.  Today’s reward offers are authorized by the Secretary under the TOCRP, which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally.  If you have information, please contact the U.S. Secret Service by email at MostWanted@usss.dhs.gov or via Signal at +1-202-538-5476. ALL IDENTITIES ARE KEPT STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.  Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.  The Department of the Treasury’s sanctions actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13694, as amended.  For more information, see Treasury’s press release. Tags Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Malicious Cyber Activity Office of the Spokesperson Russia Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program Liechtenstein National Day 08/15/2025 Liechtenstein National Day 08/15/2025 12:01 AM EDT Marco Rubio, Secretary of State HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases…Liechtenstein National Day hide Liechtenstein National Day Press Statement August 15, 2025 On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Liechtenstein on your National Day. The United States values our strong commercial and economic partnership with Liechtenstein, a nation that exemplifies fiscal responsibility, free-market principles, and a commitment to creating an environment conducive to business and investment. As we work to expand trade ties and promote economic growth, we appreciate Liechtenstein’s role as a trusted partner in advancing economic diplomacy. We look forward to deepening our collaboration to create jobs, foster innovation, and strengthen prosperity for both our peoples. # # # Tags Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Liechtenstein Office of the Spokesperson The Secretary of State The Week at State: August 8–14, 2025 08/15/2025 August 8 – 14 Here’s what happened at State this week. ⤵️ The United States brokered peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We released the 2024 Human Rights Report. President Trump nominated the State Department Spokesperson to be Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. President Trump Seals Another Peace Deal President Trump meets with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, Friday, August 8, 2025, in the Cabinet Room. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok) On August 8, President Trump hosted Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House, where the two leaders signed a historic joint declaration for peace after decades of conflict. “For more than 35 years, Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought a bitter conflict that resulted in tremendous suffering for both nations,” President Trump said. “With this Accord, we’ve finally succeeded in making peace.” The peace agreement not only ends decades of conflict but also unlocks the economic potential of the South Caucasus region. Both nations signed bilateral economic agreements with the United States, creating new opportunities in trade, transit, energy, infrastructure, and technology. A More Useful Human Rights Report On August 12, we released the 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, which cover internationally recognized rights. This year’s report has been “restructured in a way that removes redundancy, [and] increases report readability,” State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said when introducing the report at the Department press briefing. “The report continues to call out the world’s repressive actors, while also addressing abuses that had not previously been covered.” Expressing Solidarity with Colombia Secretary Rubio mourned the passing of Colombian Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay. Senator Uribe died after being shot at a political rally in June.  “The United States stands in solidarity with his family, the Colombian people, both in mourning and demanding justice for those responsible,” Secretary Rubio said.  Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau traveled to Colombia to attend the senator’s memorial service. “At a dark moment, I wanted to let the good people of Colombia know they are not alone,” Deputy Secretary Landau said.  “Senator Uribe’s leadership, courage, and commitment to his nation were evident throughout his years of service, and his contributions to Colombia’s democratic progress will endure,” the Deputy Secretary added  in a statement. Spokesperson Bruce Nominated to Serve in the U.S. Mission to the UN Spokesperson Tammy Bruce holds a press briefing at the Department of State in Washington, DC., August 12, 2025. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett) On August 9, President Trump nominated State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce to be the next Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations.  “Since the beginning of my Second Term, Tammy has been serving with distinction as Spokesperson of the State Department, where she did a fantastic job,” President Trump said on social media. “Tammy Bruce will represent our Country brilliantly at the United Nations.” Spokesperson Bruce gave her final press briefing as Department Spokesperson on August 12. “I remain deeply honored and grateful for the President's trust in me,” Spokesperson Bruce said. She said she was proud to “continue serving the State Department … and our great country on the global stage.” News You May Have Missed The United States provided additional aid to the Philippines to help with flood recovery. New visa restrictions have been imposed on African, Cuban, and Grenadian government officials complicit in the Cuban regime’s coerced forced labor export scheme. Secretary Rubio responded to France’s unilateral decision to recognize a Palestinian state, which has made it harder to get peace and achieve a deal with Hamas.  The State Department announced up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of the leader of Haitian terrorist organization Viv Ansanm. There is now a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, who is charged with violating U.S. narcotics laws. The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization.  Note to Our Readers 📩 We welcome feedback at EmailTeam@state.gov  Was this forwarded to you? Subscribe to The Week at State for weekly updates on important work, activities, and news straight from the State Department. Useful links Travel advisories and updates for U.S. Citizens Did you know that you can invite a State Department official to speak at your school, business, or organization? Learn about what we do through the firsthand experience of one of our representatives.  Read More at State.gov Stay connected with the Department of State:          This email was sent to politikimx@gmail.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: U.S. Department of State · 2201 C Street NW · Washington, DC 20520