Marco Rubio says global system is failing, cites India-Pakistan conflict

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the world would benefit from a functional international system capable of addressing conflicts, including potential tensions between India and Pakistan, while acknowledging that the existing global order is failing to resolve major disputes.

Speaking to reporters in New York on Wednesday during the United Nations General Assembly, Rubio said there was broad agreement among world leaders that international institutions were no longer functioning as intended.

“We see the utility in the international system. We're here,” Rubio said, referring to the UN. He added that US President Donald Trump had also argued that the United Nations had “tremendous potential” but was not living up to it.

Rubio said the system had expanded beyond its original mandate and was now involved in areas where it should not be, while remaining unable to resolve major conflicts.

“It would be great if we had a functional international system,” he said, citing the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia and a potential conflict between India and Pakistan as examples.

Rubio says nations will put interests first

Rubio argued that the shortcomings of the international system meant individual countries would continue to prioritise their own national interests.

“I want to be clear because this is not an attack on the international system,” he said. “But at the end of the day, the US will always act, at least as long as President Trump is in office, we will always act in the national interest of our country, not in the interest of the international order.”

“We will never put the international order above the interest of the United States,” Rubio added.

He said the international system needed to return to what he described as its “proper focus” and “proper role”.

Rubio's comments came amid wider discussions at the UNGA over the effectiveness of multilateral institutions in dealing with conflicts around the world. He also referred to other disputes, including the war in Ukraine and tensions involving Iran, as examples of challenges facing the international system.

Trump repeats claim over India-Pakistan ceasefire

Rubio's comments came a day after Trump again claimed that he had helped settle the India-Pakistan conflict in 2025.

Addressing world leaders at the UN General Assembly, Trump repeated his assertion that he had helped stop the military confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, listing it among eight conflicts he said he had ended during his presidency.

Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for the cessation of hostilities since May 10, 2025, when he announced that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire following what he described as a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington.

He has continued to make the claim despite India's position that the understanding was reached through direct communication between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two countries.

New Delhi has consistently rejected any suggestion of third-party mediation, maintaining that the cessation of military action was agreed directly between India and Pakistan.

The military escalation followed the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. India subsequently launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The two countries later reached an understanding to halt military action on May 10.

US continues to emphasise national interest

Rubio's remarks reflect the Trump administration's broader approach to international institutions, with the secretary of state stressing that Washington's foreign policy would ultimately be guided by US national interests.

At the same time, Rubio said the administration recognised the usefulness of international cooperation and was participating in the UNGA precisely because such forums still have a role to play.

His comments came as world leaders gathered in New York amid multiple international crises, including the conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine. Rubio separately said on Wednesday that both Russia and Ukraine had expressed interest in limited ceasefires involving energy and grain-related targets, although he acknowledged that reaching such an agreement would be difficult.

The remarks on India and Pakistan also came as Trump continued to publicly highlight his claimed role in the 2025 ceasefire, while India maintained that no third-party intervention was involved.