US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday pushed back against criticism from some US allies over the legality of the US strikes in the Caribbean, saying Europeans don’t get to dictate how Washington defends its national security.
Rubio attended a Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Canada’s Niagara region, where talks focused on the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, but some countries present have raised concerns over US strikes against boats that the Trump administration says are carrying drugs.
The US military has carried out at least 19 strikes so far against drug vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coasts of Latin America, killing at least 76 people.
Speaking to reporters before departing Canada, Rubio said no one had raised the operations with him during the G7 meeting. However, he defended targeting what he called “narco-terrorists” and said drugs are also shipped via Venezuela to Europe, so the United States should be thanked for taking them out.
"I don't think that the European Union gets to determine what international law is," Rubio said. "They certainly don't get to determine how the United States defends its national security."
Asked about a CNN report that Britain had suspended intelligence sharing on drug trafficking over concerns about the strikes, Rubio called it a "false story", and said the United States has a very strong partnership with the United Kingdom.
"Nothing has changed or happened that has impeded in any way our ability to do what we're doing," Rubio said. "Nor are we asking anyone to help us with what we're doing."
The Trump administration insists those targeted were transporting drugs.
The United States has publicly justified its actions as consistent with Article 51 of the founding UN Charter, which requires the UN Security Council to be immediately informed of any action states take in self-defence against armed attack.
The G7 ministers, in their statement, said they reaffirmed a shared commitment, "to strengthening partnership in securing maritime ports and routes against the trafficking of illegal drugs" but made no specific mention of the intensified US military campaign in waters off Latin America.
Leftist Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered Colombian public security forces to suspend intelligence sharing with US intelligence agencies until Washington stops attacking boats in the Caribbean.
At the G7 meeting, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha pushed for Kyiv’s allies to strengthen its long-range missile capability and bolster its energy sector as Ukraine enters another winter at war.
US President Donald Trump has sought a rapprochement with Moscow and held a summit in Alaska with Putin in August. But he has backed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine with forces at their present positions, while Moscow has said it wants Kyiv to yield more territory.
"What they want is the rest of the Donetsk. And obviously the Ukrainians aren't going to agree to that," Rubio said, adding that Washington had concluded that Russia is not currently interested in pursuing peace.
The ministers issued a final joint statement in which they reiterated a call for an immediate ceasefire and said "we are increasing the economic costs to Russia, and exploring measures against countries and entities that are helping finance Russia’s war efforts."
Efforts to organise a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump were put on ice last month, as Moscow’s rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine cast a cloud over attempts at negotiations.
Ukraine’s Sybiha, after meeting G7 foreign ministers, praised Washington for new energy sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies last month.
"We need to continue to increase the cost of war for Putin and his regime, forcing Russia to end the war," he wrote on social media.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand earlier announced additional sanctions against Moscow, targeting Russia’s drone programme, liquefied natural gas entities and vessels from Russia’s shadow fleet, among others, according to a statement.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Maria Cheng, David Ljunggren, Michelle Nichols and Simon Lewis; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk, Alistair Bell and Sonali Paul)
