US Secretary of State Rubio: We are testing the Russians

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio answered questions from reporters at NATO Headquarters following the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

Responding to a question about the market collapse caused by US-imposed tariffs, Rubio said, "Markets are reacting to a dramatic shift in the global trade order. What is happening is quite simple. If you have a company and you manufacture most of your products in China, the moment shareholders and stock market players decide that manufacturing in China is no longer cost-effective, your stock prices fall. But ultimately, if they know what the market rules will be, and if those rules are established, they will adapt to them."

Emphasizing that the US has the world's largest consumer market and that they want to become a manufacturing nation again, Rubio stated, "To achieve this, we must reshape the global trade order."

"THE PRESIDENT HAS DECIDED IT IS HARMFUL TO THE US"

Stressing that they cannot continue as a country that cannot manufacture, Rubio said, "This situation cannot continue like this. We need to provide jobs for Americans and be able to manufacture. It's that simple. Look at the Chinese example; it is an incredible situation. They consume nothing, they only export, they stifle and distort markets. On top of that, they impose taxes and barriers. The President has decided that the current state of global trade is harmful to the US and benefits others, and he will reorganize it. He is absolutely right to do so."

"WE WILL RESPECT THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION"

When asked about the annexation of Greenland, Secretary of State Rubio said, "No one is annexing anything. This situation is entirely up to the people of Greenland. We will respect the Greenlandic people's right to self-determination. The people of Greenland have clearly expressed at some point that they want to be independent from Denmark."

Rubio said, "They can make this decision whenever they want. But what we will not allow is for China to come in and offer them a lot of money to make them dependent on China."

When asked about US President Trump's statement that he would not hesitate to use force against Denmark for Greenland, Rubio said, "No, what he said was that if Greenland were threatened by a foreign power like China or Russia, no option would be off the table."

Rubio added, "They are the ones who want to leave Denmark and become independent. If they make that decision, the US will likely be ready to step in and say, 'Okay, we can form a partnership with you.'"

"WE WILL SEE IF RUSSIA IS SERIOUS OR NOT"

Responding to a question about allegations that Russian President Putin is dragging his feet on negotiations, Rubio said, "Perhaps that may be the case. We don't know yet, but we will find out in the very near future."

Rubio said, "We will find out soon, in weeks, not months. We will find out if Russia is serious about peace or not. I hope they are serious. If this war ends, it would be good for the world, but of course, we need to test that assumption."

US Secretary of State Rubio stated, "The Russians know our position on ending the war, and by looking at their response, we will soon understand whether they truly want to move toward peace. If this is just a stalling tactic, the President is not interested in it. If it is such a stall, President Trump will not fall into the trap of endless negotiation after negotiation."

Rubio said, "We are currently testing whether the Russians are interested in peace. It will be their actions, not their words, that determine whether they are serious. We aim to find this out as soon as possible."

"THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS WE MUST CONSIDER IF WE ARE NOT MAKING PROGRESS"

Stating that the time has come for it to be clear whether Russia wants peace, Rubio said, "Talks are not held just for the sake of talking. In the beginning, it was important to talk because we hadn't had contact for a long time, but now we have reached a stage where we need to make progress. If we are not making progress toward peace, there are a number of factors we must consider. But I hope we will make progress toward peace."

Responding to a question about ceasefire violations in Ukraine, Rubio said, "One of the reasons we have supported a partial ceasefire from the beginning is that there has always been a debate about 'what was targeted and what was not.' But in the end, this is still a war, and we want this war to end."

Rubio said, "If a new military operation were to be launched, that would be a very clear sign. If we wake up tomorrow morning and see that the Russians have launched a major offensive, that would be a clear indication that they are not interested in peace. This has not happened yet, and I hope it does not."

"CHINA IS CARRYING OUT THE LARGEST MILITARY EXPANSION"

Emphasizing in his statement that the US and NATO allies need to increase their defense spending, Rubio said, "The US has global responsibilities, and China is carrying out the largest and most comprehensive peacetime military expansion in history. Therefore, we need to face these issues. For this reason, we will need to increase defense spending in our country."

News Source: İHA