NATO foreign ministers seek “security through strength”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Friday wrapped up the two-day foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, telling reporters that the talks focused on Russia’s threat to NATO security. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio asked Canada and European member states to ramp up defense spending and weapons production, Rutte said. It was Rubio’s first time attending such a meeting as secretary of state.

Rutte also called out China, North Korea, and Iran for supporting Russia and threatening global security.

What did Rutte say about the war in Ukraine? The former Dutch politician reiterated NATO support for Ukraine and said the United States had handled peace talks well thus far. However, Rutte focused most of his comments on Ukraine, and the large volume of military support coming from NATO members other than the United States. Any peace agreement should not allow Russia to possess any part of Ukraine, Rutte said. He also clarified that NATO will accept Ukraine as a member in the future, but that’s not part of any proposed peace deal.

Did Rutte comment on the United States’ sweeping new tariffs? Though reporters pressed him on the issue, Rutte said comments on a potential trade war were outside the scope of his role. However, Rutte said he did not believe the new tariffs violated Article 2 of NATO’s Washington Treaty. The section says member states will seek to eliminate economic conflict and cooperate.

Did non-NATO members attend the conference? Representatives from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea also attended the conference as NATO partners. Rutte said he planned to visit Japan in a few days to strengthen defense partnership.