WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – Donald Trump’s preferred candidate for the State Department, Marco Rubio, spoke critically about Germany’s previous energy policy in the US Senate. During his first term in office, Trump “pointed out Germany’s dependence on Russian energy as a real weak point,” said the 53-year-old in his hearing before the Senate Foreign Policy Committee. “He was laughed at by Germany’s representatives at the United Nations, as I remember, and it turned out he was 100 percent right.”
With a view to Germany’s construction of terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG), Rubio also praised the “German engineering marvel.” Rubio emphasized: “So I believe that something is happening in Europe to free itself from this dependence.” Nevertheless, energy dependence remains “an enormous problem” in view of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. She is a means of pressure for the Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin to its neighbors around the world.
Rubio recalls immigration history
Rubio entered the US Senate in 2011 and made a career in politics at a young age. In 2016, the ambitious lawyer tried unsuccessfully to become a presidential candidate. The Republican failed in the primary election campaign against Trump, who insulted him at the time. The son of Cuban immigrants has emerged as a Trump loyalist in recent years. Most recently, he voted against billions in support for Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia.
The Senate must confirm Rubio’s personnel. The Republicans have a slim majority there. So far it appears that Rubio should have no problems getting confirmed by the House of Representatives. He began his first hearing before the relevant committee with a reference to his family’s immigration history. His parents came to the United States from Cuba in 1956, he said. “They had nothing but the dream of a better life,” he said. “Because of them, I had the privilege of being born a citizen of the greatest nation in the history of mankind.”/nau/DP/jha