US Secretary of State highlights Quad cooperation, India’s role in maritime security, and diplomatic engagement with Russia while backing Poland’s continued participation in the G20…reports Asian Lite News Desk
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for a more action-oriented approach to international diplomacy, saying global forums must move beyond discussions to deliver practical results on security, trade, infrastructure and humanitarian challenges.
Closing the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, Rubio highlighted the need for concrete outcomes from multilateral groupings, particularly the Quad, while defending Washington’s engagement with Russia and supporting Poland’s continued participation in the G20.
Rubio said the challenge for groupings such as the Quad was translating discussions into tangible cooperation.
“The challenge in any time you put together a format like Quad is you can sit, and you can meet, and you can say, ‘We have all these things we wanna work together on, you actually have to do it.’ So in many cases, it’s going from talking about it to doing it,” he said.
The Quad, comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia, had made progress in infrastructure projects, he said. Washington was also hoping to establish a business forum to bring companies from the four countries together to identify opportunities for cooperation.
Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief were other areas where Rubio said the grouping had made substantial progress.
He said the four countries wanted to develop the capacity to combine resources quickly when regional emergencies occurred, including typhoons, earthquakes and landslides.
Maritime domain awareness was another priority, with cooperation intended to improve understanding of activities both on the surface and underwater. Rubio said a Quad leaders’ meeting was expected in Manila in November, where further concrete initiatives could be announced.
He also rejected suggestions that the grouping was designed to target China. “The Quad is not an anti-anybody. It’s not a, it’s not a format that exists to be against any country,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that activities and behaviour by individual countries could become an obvious source of concern for the grouping.
India seeks role in global shipping security
Rubio also highlighted India’s interest in addressing disruptions to Black Sea shipping, linking the issue to international food and energy security.
He said Turkey and India had brought forward ideas on restoring the movement of shipments through the region, with India expressing interest in proposing further initiatives.
The remarks came amid wider G20 discussions on energy, technology, supply chains and freedom of navigation.
Rubio described these issues as interconnected challenges requiring international cooperation, even when participating governments disagreed over their causes or possible solutions.
US backs Poland’s place at G20
On the composition of the G20, Rubio said President Donald Trump believed Poland deserved a place at the table, citing its economic and security progress. “President Trump believes very strongly that Poland deserves a seat at this table of global leaders and we very much hope to see them and other strong nations on the rise invited back next year,” he said.
Rubio did not announce any decision to grant Poland permanent membership or outline a process for changing the forum’s composition.
He also praised Poland’s development as beneficial to Washington’s interests as an ally and partner. “They are stronger, they are more robust as a nation, and America as an ally and a partner of Poland is therefore stronger as well,” he said.
Poland’s participation was among the invited delegations at the Atlanta gathering. Guest invitations, however, do not confer permanent G20 membership.
Rubio said the US presidency had sought to keep the forum focused on economic priorities, including energy availability, critical minerals, technology and supply-chain resilience.
He acknowledged that countries had not reached agreement on every issue but argued that recognising shared challenges was necessary to make progress.
Russia’s participation defended amid Ukraine war
Rubio also defended Russia’s continued participation in the G20, arguing that diplomatic engagement with Moscow was necessary to pursue a negotiated settlement to the Ukraine war. Responding to criticism over Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s participation in the Atlanta meeting and questions about President Vladimir Putin attending the December G20 leaders’ summit in Florida, Rubio said negotiations required communication with both sides.
“How can you have a negotiated settlement between Russia and Ukraine if you don’t have the ability to talk to both Russia and Ukraine?” he asked. He said Washington maintained extensive contact with Kyiv while also engaging Moscow.
Rubio stressed that diplomatic communication did not amount to endorsing Russia’s actions. He also cited Russia’s nuclear arsenal as a reason to maintain channels of communication, warning that a breakdown in contact could increase the risks of escalation.
However, he cautioned against expectations of an immediate breakthrough in efforts to end the war.
“So I mean, but I don’t think anyone here is claiming that we’re on the verge of a negotiated settlement,” he said. Rubio confirmed that he had spoken briefly with Lavrov in Atlanta but had not held a formal meeting. Their conversation included possible opportunities for the countries’ leaders to interact at upcoming international gatherings.
He said the decision on whether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would attend the Florida summit rested with Trump, adding that such participation could be considered if it produced a positive outcome. The G20, established in 1999 and elevated to leaders’ summits in 2008, comprises 19 countries, the European Union and the African Union.
The Atlanta meeting and preparations for the December summit reflected Washington’s stated effort to use international platforms to pursue practical economic and diplomatic outcomes.
Across the Quad, the G20 and discussions on the Ukraine conflict, Rubio’s message was that international engagement should be measured not simply by meetings and declarations but by the ability to deliver cooperation, maintain communication and address shared challenges.
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