Rubio dismisses criticism of U.S. Caribbean strikes at G7 meeting

By Daphne Psaledakis and Maria Cheng

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, Canada (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday pushed back against criticism from some U.S. allies over the legality of the U.S. 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 U.S. strikes against boats that the Trump administration says are carrying drugs.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said at the start of the meeting on Tuesday that the strikes "violate international law" and were concerning for France's territories in the region.

The U.S. military has carried out at least 19 strikes so far against suspected 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."

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters on the sidelines of the meeting that such strikes could be only justified as self-defense or by a UN Security Council resolution.

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, without providing evidence or publicly explaining the legal justification for the decision to attack the boats rather than stop them and arrest those on board.

The United States has publicly justified its actions as consistent with Article 51 of the founding U.N. Charter, which requires the U.N. Security Council to be immediately informed of any action states take in self-defense 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 U.S. military campaign in waters off Latin America.

While acknowledging the U.S. justification for the strikes, a group of independent U.N. experts said last month: "Even if such allegations were substantiated, the use of lethal force in international waters without proper legal basis violates the international law of the sea and amounts to extrajudicial executions."

Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered Colombian public security forces to suspend intelligence sharing with U.S. intelligence agencies until Washington stops attacking boats in the Caribbean.

UKRAINE SEEKS MORE PRESSURE ON MOSCOW

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.

U.S. 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 organize 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 X.

Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand earlier announced additional sanctions against Moscow, targeting Russia's drone program, 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)