Rubio brands US NATO associates ‘a bunch of junior partners’

(MENAFN) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has once again urged NATO members to increase their defense contributions, criticizing the current structure of the alliance, which he described as the US and “a bunch of junior partners.” In an interview with The Free Press published on Wednesday, Rubio emphasized that while NATO membership aligns with US interests, the alliance must be a true partnership. He argued that if some members do not contribute their fair share, NATO risks becoming more of a “dependency” than an alliance.

The US currently covers a significant portion of NATO’s budget, and many member countries are still failing to meet the bloc’s target of spending 2% of their GDP on defense. Rubio believes this imbalance undermines NATO’s credibility and unity. He stressed that for NATO to remain a legitimate defense alliance, all members must carry their weight.

At his first NATO foreign ministers' meeting earlier this month, Rubio reassured allies that the US will remain in the alliance but insisted that NATO members must make sacrifices, including increasing defense spending to 5%. This call aligns with statements from other senior US officials. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz recently stated that Washington expects all NATO members to meet the 2% defense spending target by the upcoming summit in June.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also echoed concerns, stating that the US can no longer be the sole guarantor of European security. He stressed the need for Europe to step up, fund its military, and take a more prominent leadership role within NATO.

The issue of defense spending has been a longstanding point of contention within the alliance, and the June summit is expected to address it, with potential changes to defense investment commitments on the agenda.

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