Brussels – On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and NATO colleagues expressed their firm support for Ukraine and President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the conflict, while acknowledging that Russia needs to do more.
This was stated by a senior State Department official after the first day of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, according to a report from the Kyiv Post correspondent currently in Brussels.
«Russia has yet to show a commitment to ceasefire, and several allies raised this issue,» the official said after a full day of discussions in various formats, including a Ukraine-NATO meeting in which Rubio participated for the first time.
Allies also discussed the necessity of increasing defense spending. The US emphasized the importance of NATO's collective security and the expansion of the Alliance's defense industrial base, the official noted. Specifically, some Alliance members committed to increasing defense spending to 5%, but did not specify timelines.
Rubio's first visit to NATO headquarters occurred amid deteriorating relations between the US and Europe due to new global tariffs imposed by President Trump. European allies have also been awaiting details on Washington's plans to reduce its involvement in NATO to better coordinate the strengthening of European defense.
«The United States remains as active in NATO as ever,» Rubio told reporters while standing next to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He also condemned the «hysteria and hyperbole» in the media regarding Trump's intentions, despite ongoing signals from Washington that the Alliance as it has existed for three-quarters of a century may no longer be relevant.
Rubio added that Trump is «against NATO that lacks the capabilities necessary to fulfill the obligations each member nation has».
In response to a Kyiv Post question regarding the US stance on Europe’s desire to purchase weapons locally, the State Department official stated, «We emphasize that there should be no restrictions on purchases.»
However, some European allies are deeply concerned about Trump's rhetorical attacks and insults directed at allies like Canada and Denmark.
Rubio and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen met in the corridors of the ministerial meeting, where Rubio reaffirmed the strong ties between the two countries, according to a State Department report on the meeting.
«They discussed shared priorities, including increasing NATO defense spending and burden sharing, as well as countering threats to the Alliance from Russia and China. They also discussed current coordination efforts to strengthen stability and security in Europe and ensure lasting peace in Ukraine,» press secretary of Rubio, Temmi Bru, noted.
Responding to a question about how the US is overcoming differences between its policy and that of Europeans regarding support for Ukraine, the State Department official assured that there are no significant discrepancies among allies on this issue and that support for Ukraine's position is clear.
«Most Alliance members recognize that Ukraine is striving for a ceasefire and broader peace,» the official emphasized.