“We need to ensure NATO is capable and strong,” Rubio said. “The only way NATO can get stronger and more viable is if our partners, the nation states that comprise this important alliance, have more capability.”
But he also acknowledged the practical difficulties of achieving such a large increase in defence spending, especially for European countries facing competing social and economic demands.
US President Donald Trump has criticised NATO for years.Credit: AP
He said NATO’s primary focus should be on addressing emerging global security threats, particularly the rise of China and Russia’s continued destabilising influence across Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
“The security threats we face are interconnected,” Rubio said. “We have to look at these theatres in conjunction.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also sought to reassure the alliance’s members, stressing that there was “no plan” for the US to drastically reduce its military presence in Europe.
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While the US has been pivoting its focus to Asia, especially in relation to the rise of China, Rutte emphasised the global security threats facing the alliance were increasingly interconnected and that the Russian threat would persist for many years.
“We are seeing what China is doing. We’re seeing how these two theatres, the inner Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic are getting more and more connected by the fact that the Russians are working together with the North Koreans, with the Chinese, with Iran,” he said, while reaffirming the Trump administration had given no intention it planned to scale back US forces in Europe.
Currently, around 100,000 American troops are stationed across Europe, and some reports have speculated that this number could eventually decrease by 20,000 to 50,000 in the coming years.
Tensions between the US and its European NATO allies have also been mounting over multiple fronts, with one of the most contentious issues being Trump’s long-standing fascination with Greenland. His recent remarks about acquiring the territory from Denmark – “one way or another” – have left European diplomats scrambling to maintain diplomatic decorum, especially as Trump’s actions cast a shadow over relations with Denmark.
Notably, Rubio met with Danish officials in the first direct contact between Washington and Copenhagen in weeks. A summary from the US State Department said the men “reaffirmed the strong relationship” between their countries. It did not mention Greenland.
Rutte, a strong supporter of Ukraine, has taken care to avoid antagonising Trump, commending him for “breaking the deadlock” with Russia and raising security issues within the Artic.
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