"As far as not getting involved in other conflicts that are not ours, we need to ask Europe - does he [Macron] speak for them? Cause we are pretty heavily involved in Ukraine right now, we are spending a lot of our taxpayer money on a European war. And I’ve supported that because I think it’s in the national interests of the United States to be allies to our allies, but if our allies’ position, and if in fact Macron speaks for all of Europe, and their position now is they’re not going to pick sides between the US and China over Taiwan, maybe we shouldn’t be taking sides either. Maybe we should basically say we’re going to focus on Taiwan and the threats that China poses, and you, guys, handle Ukraine and Europe," Rubio said in a video posted on his Twitter on Sunday.
The senator also noted that it is important for Washington to understand whether Macron speaks for the whole EU as a powerful leader or only for his own country.
Additionally, Rubio said that Europe and France had been very dependent on the US over the last years. Thus, he said, when Paris sent troops to North Africa to fight terrorism, it could not to transport them, and the US had to fly them there and take them back.
The politician also said that if the whole EU supports Macron, the US may withdraw from Europe and by that save a lot of money.
Macron's remarks come on the heels of his visit to China this past week, during which he praised Beijing's role in the international arena and underlined the importance of bilateral French-Chinese relations in various spheres. A series of commercial contracts has been signed between companies of the two countries during the visit.
On Sunday, following his visit to China, Macron said that Europe should not let itself be drawn into the confrontation between the United States and China over Taiwan conforming to "the American rhythm." He also noted that the Europeans should "wake up" and think about their own interests.
The situation around Taiwan escalated last August after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to the island. Beijing condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military drills in the vicinity of the island. Despite China's acute reaction, Pelosi's visit unleashed a wave of trips by Western politicians to the island.