Brussels [Belgium], April 4: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday underscored the need for NATO allies to spend more on defence, as the world was reeling from President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping new tariffs on all imports to the United States.
Rubio, speaking at a NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, said his administration understood that allies will not be able to massively increase defence expenditure right away, but stressed the need for a clear "pathway" for allies to hike their contributions. Trump has repeatedly demanded that NATO allies boost defence spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) as he accuses them of piggy-backing on the massive US defence budget, a stance Rubio reiterated at the start of the two-day gathering.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called for defence spending to be raised to "considerably north of 3%" - a decision that is expected to be taken at the next summit in June. Rubio said Trump remains committed to NATO but sees an urgent need to bolster the alliance's capabilities in light of recent events including Russia's war in Ukraine.
"No one expects that you're going to be able to do this in one year or two, but the pathway has to be real," Rubio said, adding that the US wants NATO to be "stronger" and "more viable."
A number of NATO countries have already pledged to raise defence spending above the current target of at least 2% of GDP, but for many larger members, including Germany, Trump's 5% target is considered unrealistic. Trump's latest trade moves could negatively affect European efforts to bolster defence spending, amid fears that the US import duties could dent the global economy and thus allies' war chests.
Source: Qatar Tribune
