US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in Brussels today that the US will remain in NATO, but that it is necessary for the alliance to be more capable and that all members should therefore increase defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Upon arriving at the two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers, which he is participating in for the first time, Rubio said that the administration of US President Donald Trump is not against NATO, but that it wants the organization to be capable of defending the territories of its members.
"The US is NATO, the US is active in NATO as it has always been. I see hysteria in the global media and in some media in the US (regarding the possible US withdrawal from the alliance), but President Trump has made it clear that he supports NATO and that we will remain in NATO," Rubio said at the headquarters of the Western military alliance.
During a joint address with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, ahead of their one-on-one meeting, Rubio said the US wants NATO to be "stronger and more sustainable" and added that the only way to achieve this is for US allies to "have more capabilities."
"We all have our 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 not want to give up social security policies, but the war in the heart of Europe in recent years reminds us that hard power is still necessary as a deterrent," Rubio said.
He added that he wants to leave Brussels "with the knowledge that every NATO member is ready to increase defense spending to five percent of GDP."
"If the threats are as dire as we think they are, we must have the ability to counter them. That is also the message of President Trump, he is not against NATO, he is only against a NATO that does not have the ability to fulfill the obligations that the North Atlantic Treaty imposes on each member," said the head of US diplomacy.
He stated that "no one expects that someone will be able to do it in a year or two", but that "the path towards it must be realistic".
Bonus video:
