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January 30 – February 5
Here’s what happened at State this week. ⤵️
- 💎 The United States hosted the Critical Minerals Ministerial to secure global supply chains.
- 🤝 President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi sealed a historic trade partnership.
- ⛷️ Vice President JD Vance and Secretary Rubio arrived in Milan to lead the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics.
Secretary Rubio holds a press availability during the Critical Minerals Ministerial at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., February 4, 2026. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)
On February 4, the State Department brought together global partners in Washington, D.C., for a Critical Minerals Ministerial. At the ministerial, like-minded governments worked to build stable and strong supply chains in order to reshape the global market for critical minerals and rare earths.
"Economic security is national security,” Secretary Rubio said in his opening remarks. Everyone “stand[s] to benefit from the secure supply chains that we want to be a big part of building.”
The ministerial focused on reducing dependence on adversarial nations for minerals required for defense technologies and for American manufacturing.
Speaking at the ministerial, Vice President Vance invited allies to form a critical minerals trading bloc.
Supply chains that support critical industries can vanish in the blink of an eye, Vice President Vance said in his remarks. “It is the business of the government … to confront such problems, and we want to confront them together.”
 President Trump and Prime Minister Modi meet in the Oval Office February 13, 2025. (White House/Molly Riley)
Following a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Trump announced a major trade deal between the United States and India. This historic agreement aims to bolster the relationship between the world’s largest democracies while addressing key global security concerns.
“It was an honor to speak with Prime Minister Modi,” President Trump said in a Truth Social post. “He is one of my greatest friends, and a Powerful and Respected leader of his Country.”
As part of the deal, India has agreed to stop buying Russian oil, committing instead to increase purchases from the United States and possibly Venezuela. President Trump noted that this shift would help end the war in Ukraine.
Key provisions of the agreement the President highlighted in his Truth Social post include both the U.S. and India reducing tariffs on each other’s goods and a $500 billion commitment from Prime Minister Modi to buy U.S. energy, technology, agriculture, and other products.
The United States and Mexico have agreed to strengthen the implementation of the 1944 Water Treaty. Committing to the treaty, which governs the shared use of the water in the Rio Grande, will provide greater certainty for farmers, ranchers, and producers in the United States.
“Water is the lifeblood of the farmers and ranchers who power South Texas’s agricultural economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “This understanding between our countries is a direct result of President Trump’s determination to secure fair, practical deals that deliver for American agriculture.”
Under the new agreement, Mexico has committed to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water (approximately 114 billion gallons) each year to the United States during the current five-year cycle.
 Secretary Rubio and Vice President Vance greet Team USA athletes at the Team USA Welcome Experience ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan on February 5, 2026. (Official State Department photo by Mateo S. Melendy)
Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio led the official United States Presidential Delegation to the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
The delegation’s presence bolsters the U.S.-Italy alliance and supports American athletes on the global stage.
For citizens traveling to the games, we encourage travelers to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for real-time updates and to keep important information close at hand.
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