AMERICA

RUBIO CLARIFIES U.S. POSITION: America will stay in NATO, but all member states must do this!

by Serbian Times3. April 2025.3. April 2025.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated today in Brussels that the United States will remain in NATO, but emphasized that the alliance must become more capable. To achieve this, he said, all member states should increase defense spending to five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP).

Upon arriving at the two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers, in which he is participating for the first time, Rubio declared that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is not against NATO but wants the alliance to be capable of defending its member states’ territories.

“The U.S. is NATO, the U.S. is active in NATO just as it has always been. I see hysteria in global media and some U.S. outlets regarding a potential U.S. withdrawal from the alliance, but President Trump has made it clear that he supports NATO and that we will remain in NATO,” Rubio stated at the Western military alliance’s headquarters.

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During a joint address with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, ahead of their one-on-one meeting, Rubio said that the United States wants NATO to be ‘stronger and more sustainable’ and added that the only way to achieve this is for U.S. allies to build greater capabilities.

“We all have domestic needs, but we have prioritized defense because of the role we play in the world. And we want our partners to do the same. I understand that some may be reluctant to give up social security policies, but the war in the heart of Europe over the past few years reminds us that hard power is still necessary as a deterrent,” Rubio stated.

He added that he wants to leave Brussels “knowing that every NATO member state is ready to increase defense spending to five percent of GDP.”

“If the threats are as serious as we believe they are, we must have the capability to counter them. This is also President Trump’s message—he is not against NATO, he is only against a NATO that lacks the capability to fulfill the obligations that the North Atlantic Treaty imposes on every member state,” the U.S. Secretary of State said.

He noted that “no one expects this to be accomplished in a year or two,” but that “the path to achieving it must be realistic.”