(Worthy News) –
STOCKHOLM/BRUSSELS (Worthy News) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Friday that President Donald Trump’s growing frustration with the NATO military alliance will dominate what he called “one of the most important summits in the history of NATO” in Ankara, Turkey.
Speaking after NATO foreign ministers met in Stockholm, Rubio said Trump remained disappointed with some alliance members over their response to recent U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
“That will have to be addressed,” Rubio said. “That’s something for leaders to discuss.”
His remarks came amid confusion among allies over Trump’s announcement that he would send an additional 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland weeks after Washington confirmed plans to reduce roughly the same number of forces elsewhere in Europe.
Rubio insisted the troop adjustments were not punitive but part of a broader review of America’s global military commitments.
US ROLE UNDER REVIEW
“The United States continues to have global commitments,” Rubio said, citing obligations in the Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and Western Hemisphere.
“There’s broad recognition there are going to be eventually less U.S. troops in Europe than historically,” he added.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged that changes in America’s military posture were under discussion but stressed the alliance’s deterrence against Russia must remain intact.
“What you will see over the coming years is a more equal shift where Europeans take greater responsibility, with the United States firmly anchored in the transatlantic relationship,” Rutte said.
Rubio also hinted at changes to the NATO Force Model, the alliance’s framework for rapid military response during crises, though he declined to provide details, describing discussions as “highly classified.”
BALTIC TENSIONS GROW
Rising tensions in the Baltic region overshadowed the talks after Russia accused Latvia and other NATO members of helping Ukraine prepare drone attacks against Russian territory.
Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers rejected what they called Russia’s “blatant disinformation campaign,” warning Moscow was trying to intimidate NATO allies.
Rubio said Washington was closely monitoring the situation.
“We’re concerned about it because we don’t want it to lead to some broader conflict that can really lead to something far worse,” he said.
Rutte meanwhile confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been invited to attend the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.
The summit is expected to focus heavily on defense spending, U.S. troop levels in Europe, the war in Ukraine, and NATO’s long-term strategy toward Russia and the Arctic region.
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