US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged that efforts to broker peace in Ukraine and Gaza face significant obstacles, even as he expressed cautious optimism about continued diplomacy, during a rare and extended year-end news conference on Friday. Speaking for more than two hours in a wide-ranging interaction with reporters, Rubio avoided offering timelines or guarantees of success, stressing instead that the issues remain complex and deeply entrenched.
Throughout the lengthy session, Rubio also defended the Trump administration’s decision to intensify military pressure on Venezuela, arguing that the actions taken so far fall well within presidential authority. At the same time, he voiced strong support for President Donald Trump’s sweeping overhaul of US foreign policy, particularly the reorientation of foreign aid and diplomatic priorities under the “America First” doctrine. Rubio added that the administration was also working to secure a humanitarian ceasefire in Sudan before the start of the new year.
Rubio’s unusually long appearance in the State Department briefing room came at a moment of heightened diplomatic activity. High-level discussions on Gaza and the Russia-Ukraine conflict were underway in Miami, following what Rubio described as a turbulent year for US foreign relations. In addition to his role as secretary of state, Rubio has taken on responsibilities as national security adviser, emerging as a key defender of the administration’s approach on issues ranging from visa restrictions to major changes within the State Department bureaucracy.
On Ukraine, Rubio spoke as national security officials from Britain, France and Germany met in Florida with Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, along with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. The talks focused on the latest version of the Trump administration’s proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war. Separately, US officials confirmed that Witkoff and Kushner were also scheduled to meet representatives from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar to discuss the next phase of the administration’s plan to bring the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to an end.
Rubio acknowledged that progress on the Gaza initiative has been slow since it was unveiled in October. US officials have been pushing for the creation of a so-called “Board of Peace” to oversee Gaza after nearly two years of conflict, along with the deployment of an international stabilization force. According to Rubio, key questions about funding, rules of engagement and demilitarization must still be resolved before countries can be asked to contribute troops or resources.
He emphasised that any peace agreement in Ukraine would require consent from both Kyiv and Moscow, making it impossible for Washington to impose a settlement unilaterally. The US role, he said, is to try to move both sides toward common ground. Rubio openly acknowledged that such efforts might fail, noting that meaningful concessions would be required from both Russia and Ukraine for any deal to materialise.
Rubio also addressed criticism of the administration’s Venezuela policy, where the US has stepped up maritime operations against suspected drug-trafficking vessels. He argued that the actions do not amount to an act of war and therefore do not require congressional approval. While Trump has declined to rule out the possibility of conflict with Venezuela, Rubio maintained that current operations are focused on countering narco-terrorism rather than pursuing outright regime change.
Beyond Ukraine, Gaza and Venezuela, Rubio pointed to other fragile peace efforts around the world. He noted that ceasefires previously supported by the US in regions such as Southeast Asia and Central Africa are under strain due to renewed fighting. Even so, he said those agreements still provide a framework that can be used to push conflicting parties back toward dialogue.
Rubio’s news conference stood out not only for its length but also for its format. Unlike his predecessors, who often limited questions to a small group of reporters, he took queries from nearly everyone present, including several asked in Spanish. The briefing room itself had not been used for regular press briefings since August, underscoring the unusual nature of the event.
Defending the administration’s dismantling of long-standing foreign aid structures, including major cuts to the US Agency for International Development, Rubio rejected claims that the changes have caused humanitarian harm. He argued that limited resources must be used in ways that directly advance US national interests, pointing to ongoing disaster relief efforts and new global health partnerships as evidence that humanitarian engagement continues, albeit in a different form.
