Rubio affirms US won’t leave NATO

(MENAFN) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured NATO member nations on Thursday that the United States remains fully committed to the alliance. He emphasized, however, that NATO members must significantly raise their military spending. Speaking at the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Rubio dismissed concerns about US withdrawal, labeling them as "hysteria."

Rubio clarified that President Donald Trump was not opposed to NATO but was critical of the bloc's inability to meet its defense obligations as outlined in the founding treaty. He reiterated that all NATO members should work toward a "realistic pathway" that would eventually see them allocate 5% of their GDP to defense, even though this could take years to achieve.

Eastern European countries like Estonia and Poland have shown support for the US proposal, with Estonia already committing 3.7% of its GDP and Poland aiming for 4.7%. In contrast, larger EU economies such as Italy and Germany have criticized the 5% target, citing fiscal concerns.

The US's stance on NATO spending has led to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposing a rearmament plan, which would involve military spending funded by loans. However, some southern European nations have expressed significant reservations about the plan due to concerns over taking on more debt.

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