By Steve Holland and Stephanie Kelly
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio from Florida became the first of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees to be sworn into office on Tuesday, where he emphasized that U.S. foreign policy under Trump will put American needs first.
The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Rubio, a China hawk and staunch backer of Israel, just hours after Trump took office on Monday. Additional votes on other Trump nominees were expected this week.
“His (Trump’s) primary promise when it comes to foreign policy is that the priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States, it will be furthering the national interest of this country,” Rubio said after he was sworn into office by U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
He added that another foreign policy goal under Trump will be “the promotion of peace. Of course, peace through strength, peace and always without abandoning our values.”
Rubio, 53 and a Republican, was a long-term member of the Senate foreign relations and intelligence committees. He is a harsh critic of China and an advocate for Israel.
The son of immigrants from Cuba, he has also pushed for tough measures against the Communist-ruled island and its allies, especially the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
During his confirmation hearing, he warned that the U.S. must change course to avoid becoming more reliant on China, and promised a robust foreign policy focused on American interests.
Rubio also said it should be U.S. policy that the war in Ukraine must end. He said reaching an agreement to stop the fighting would involve concessions from both Moscow and Kyiv, and he suggested that Ukraine would have to give up its goal of regaining all the territory Russia has taken in the last decade.
Rubio is the first person of Hispanic origin to serve as the nation’s top diplomat.
(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly and Steve Holland; Editing by Heather Timmons and Nick Zieminski)
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