Rubio hopeful about Ukraine and Gaza peace efforts but clear on challenges

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the news conference on Friday (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was hopeful but clear about the challenges facing the Trump administration’s Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas peace efforts and defended increasing US military pressure on Venezuela during an end-of-year news conference on Friday.

Over more than two hours, Mr Rubio offered no predictions for timing or success on any of those three issues.