'UN unable to solve Gaza war, US freed captives from barbarians': Marco Rubio

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany. (AP Photo)

• US Secretary Rubio criticized UN for inaction on global conflicts
• Rubio praised US leadership in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran crises
• He reaffirmed strong US-Europe ties and the transatlantic alliance.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday criticised the United Nations for failing to address pressing global conflicts, citing the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

He praised American leadership for problem-solving, stating the US has played a key role in resolving issues, unlike the UN.

"We cannot ignore that today, on the most pressing matters before us, it has no answers and has played virtually no role." He added that "it has not solved the war in Ukraine," and it was the US that was able to bring the two sides to the table to discuss a peace deal.

He highlighted that it was the United States, rather than international bodies, that successfully brought Russia and Ukraine to the table for high-stakes peace negotiations in late 2025 and early 2026.

Rubio said that it was also unable to solve the war in Gaza - instead, it was the US that "freed captives from barbarians".

While acknowledging that the UN has "tremendous potential to be a tool for good," Rubio asserted that on the world's most urgent issues, it has "no answers and has played virtually no role."

"The United Nations still has tremendous potential to be a tool for good in the world," Rubio told the Munich Security Conference.

Rubio's remarks came amid wider discussions on the future of multilateral cooperation and the evolving role of global governance bodies.

Diplomats have expressed concerns over US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace initiative aimed at resolving conflicts globally, saying it could harm the work of the United Nations, The Times of Israel reported.

Referring to the 12-day conflict with Iran in June 2026, he said the UN was "powerless to constrain the nuclear program of radical Shia clerics of Tehran."

"That required 14 bombs dropped with precision by American B-2 bombers," Rubio said.

He also highlighted the United States' involvement in negotiations related to the Ukraine-Russia war and the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

"We cannot allow those who blatantly threaten our citizens, and endanger our global stability, to shield themselves behind abstractions of international law which they themselves routinely violate," he added.

Rubio also delivered a strong message of unity with Europe, reaffirming that Washington's future remains closely linked with the continent and that the United States has no intention of stepping away from the transatlantic alliance.

His keynote address contrasted sharply with the 2025 Munich Security Conference speech by Vice President JD Vance, who had criticised European leaders over issues including free speech and immigration.

"In a time of headlines heralding the end of the Transatlantic era, let it be known and clear to all that this is neither our goal nor our wish, because for us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe," Rubio said.