Analysis: Jakub Graca; graphic design: Natalia Matiaszczyk; collected data: Anna Leda
In his first five weeks as Secretary of State, Marco Rubio made two trips abroad. The first took him to five Central American countries: Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic. The second trip covered Europe, where he attended the Munich Security Conference, as well as the Middle East, with visits to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In Riyadh, Rubio met with a Russian delegation led by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Additionally, Rubio held several meetings with his counterparts in Washington, D.C., and conducted phone calls with dozens of other officials.
Marco Rubio’s visit to Central American countries in early February 2025 was primarily focused on addressing the issue of illegal immigration to the United States, which has largely occurred overland via the Mexico border in recent years. The Trump administration has prioritized regulating the security situation in its neighboring countries from the outset. Rubio, who is of Cuban descent and speaks Spanish, is particularly well-positioned to strengthen relations with Latin American nations. Notably, his discussions with Panama were significant, as Panama has been accused by Trump of allowing the People’s Republic of China to gain control of the U.S.-constructed Panama Canal. A few weeks after Rubio’s visit, reports surfaced that US-based BlackRock would purchase several seaports worldwide from Hong Kong-registered Hutchinson, including two located on either side of the Panama Canal, which could be seen as a direct result of US pressure on Panama.
The meeting between the US delegation (Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, and Steve Witkoff) and the Russian delegation on February 18 in Riyadh marked the first such meeting since Donald Trump took office. It was a key part of the current U.S. administration’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine and, more broadly, to normalize relations between Washington and Moscow. This aligns with Trump’s broader goal of shifting U.S. foreign policy priorities. According to preliminary statements from the U.S. side, Moscow would be offered the opportunity for economic cooperation with Washington in exchange for ending the war in Ukraine and providing unspecified guarantees against further aggression. The Trump administration likely aims to ensure that Russia does not become entirely dependent on the People’s Republic of China, with hopes of avoiding a confrontation between the U.S. (and the broader West) and a bloc of authoritarian states, led by China and Russia.
Notably, the first three meetings that Marco Rubio held with his counterparts after taking office were with ministers from Indo-Pacific allied and partner countries: India, Australia, and Japan (all of which took place in Washington). This was followed by a phone conversation with the foreign minister of the Philippines. Despite Donald Trump’s chaotic communication style (which includes his recent questioning of the US-Japan defense treaty), initial statements from the meetings between US-Pacific representatives suggest that Washington intends to maintain the region as a priority in its foreign policy and continue existing cooperation formats, including the Quad and AUKUS.
Rubio’s international meetings and talks to date indicate that while Washington is maintaining its existing relations with key allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East, it is also exploring a foreign policy direction that has been absent since early 2022—relations with Russia. Additionally, relations with Central American countries are undergoing some adjustments, as Washington aims to assert its national interests in a more forceful manner than before, particularly in relation to illegal immigration.
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