Rubio to visit Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia and UAE

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Germany, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from Feb. 13-18 to engage in high-level diplomatic discussions, the State Department announced Wednesday.

Rubio will first attend the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 13 to engage international partners and will also participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in the German city, spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump announced that following his phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Rubio and Vice President JD Vance will lead a US delegation in talks on Ukraine.

Following his engagements in Munich, the top US diplomat will travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE from Feb. 15-18 to meet with senior officials to discuss "regional cooperation, stability and peace," according to Bruce.

"The trip will center on freeing American and all other hostages from Hamas captivity, advancing to Phase II of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and countering the destabilizing activities of the Iranian regime and its proxies," she added.

Rubio’s visit to the Middle East comes amid widespread rejection by Palestinians and the broader Arab and Muslim world of Trump's proposal to "take over" and "own" the Gaza Strip, transforming it into the "Riviera of the Middle East.”

The proposal emerged after a fragile ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s 15-month onslaught, which has killed more than 48,200 people and left the enclave in ruins.