NATO -Secretary -General Mark Rutte has definitely rejected speculation on a possible deduction of American armed forces from Europe. “There are no plans that they suddenly reduce their presence here in Europe,” Rutte said on Thursday on the sidelines of NATO meeting of the Foreign Ministers in Brussels.
At the same time it was clear that “America, like a super power, has more than a scene,” he added, referring to China and the inopazific.
During the two-day meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the future of the Transatlantic Alliance must be discussed, in particular a further increase in the defense expenditure of the European NATO members and Canada.
Trump puts pressure on partners
The US President Donald Trump had repeatedly questioned the assistance obligations within NATO in recent months and called NATO partners to increase their defense budget to five percent of the respective gross domestic product (GDP). The first appearance of the American State Secretary Marco Rubio was eager at the NATO headquarters.
Other topics of the meeting will be the situation in Ukraine and the negotiations about a cease -the Fires that Washington is currently leading with Moscow and Kiev. According to Rutte, the recent announcement of massive customs -Trump should not play a role in the conversations. “Of course this meeting is not about economic questions and subjects,” he said. The focus of all NATO members is to “defend NATO territory”.
Luxembourg is on clarity about the American position
During the meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in terms of Transatlantic partnership, he expects a ‘moment of truth’, said Luxembourg’s Chief Diplomat Xavier Bettel before the Brussels consultation. The United States should now make clear what they wanted to do with Europe, Bettel also said in view of the new American criminal offenses that the European economy should hit hard. The United States and Europe have a common enemy, namely Russia, Bettel emphasized. “I hope we find a common denominator,” he added. “We must be pragmatic.”
An exchange with the partners in the INDOPAZACIFIK – Australia, Japan, Zuid -Korea and Nieuw -Zeeland – is initially planned for the regular consultation of the 32 Member States. In the evening there is a meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha. On Friday, EU outside country commissioner Kaja Kallas is expected before the NATO meeting ends at noon.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
