Rubio defends attacks in the Caribbean: Europe won't tell us how to defend ourselves

At a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Canada, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the reservations of European allies about the legality of US attacks in the Caribbean. He stated that the European Union has no right to determine what is international law or how the United States defends its national security.

Washington has carried out at least 19 attacks against ships suspected of drug smuggling, killing 76 people. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot called them a violation of international law and warned that they also threatened French overseas territories in the Caribbean.

Rubio defended the operations by invoking Article 51 of the UN Charter on self-defence. He argued that the targets were "narcoterrorists" and the US should rather be commended for these actions. However, EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas reminded that such actions can only be justified by self-defence or by a decision of the UN Security Council.

Independent UN experts have described the attacks as extrajudicial executions as they took place in international waters. Colombian President Gustavo Petro has already suspended the cooperation of his security forces with the US. Rubio has also rejected claims that Britain has cut off intelligence exchanges with Washington.

(reuters, lud)