Brussels ¨C Ahead of a critical NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought Thursday to allay concerns about the defense commitment of U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s administration to NATO allies all the while reiterating expectations that member states will commit to a path to boost defense spending to up to 5% of GDP.
¡°President Trump¡¯s made clear he supports NATO. We¡¯re going to remain in NATO,¡± Rubio said at the headquarters of the 32-member alliance, calling some of the ¡°hysteria and hyperbole¡± he has seen in certain media about NATO ¡°unwarranted.¡±
¡°He¡¯s (Trump¡¯s) not against NATO,¡± Rubio said. What the U.S. president doesn¡¯t want is an alliance that ¡°does not have the capabilities it needs to fulfill the obligations that the treaty imposes upon each and every member state,¡± he added.
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