US Secretary of State Rubio Told EU Foreign Policy Chief to "Step Back" During G7 Dispute
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to "step back" and handle Russia diplomacy herself during a G7 ministerial meeting in France. The exchange occurred after Kallas pressed Rubio over Washington's failure to increase pressure on Moscow. Rubio subsequently denied that any incident had taken place.
The Exchange at the G7 Ministerial
The confrontation took place at a G7 ministerial meeting in France on March 28, 2026. According to a report by Axios, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas pressed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on what she characterized as Washington's failure to increase pressure on Russia. In response, Rubio told Kallas to "step back" and suggested she handle diplomacy with Russia independently.
Rubio's Denial
Following the reported exchange, Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that anything had happened. The initial report of the incident, including Rubio's directive and his subsequent denial, was published by Euromaidanpress on March 28, 2026. The article cited the Axios report as its source for the details of the diplomatic disagreement.