Rubio Presses NATO Allies, Calls for End to ’Dependency’ on US

By Staff, Agencies

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has intensified calls for NATO members to ramp up their defense spending, characterizing the alliance as the United States and “a bunch of junior partners” unless others carry a fair share of the burden.

In an interview with The Free Press published Wednesday, Rubio warned that if NATO members fail to meet their commitments, the alliance risks becoming more of a dependency than a partnership. “NATO is good as long as NATO is real,” he said. “Not the United States and a bunch of junior partners that aren’t doing their fair share.”

While acknowledging that NATO serves US interests, Rubio emphasized that shared responsibility is essential. He pointed out that Washington continues to foot a disproportionate share of the alliance’s budget, while many NATO countries lag behind the agreed-upon target of spending 2% of GDP on defense.

Rubio’s message came shortly after attending his first NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, where he assured allies of President Donald Trump’s commitment to the alliance. However, Rubio also urged member states to make “real sacrifices” and proposed that nations raise their defense spending to 5%.

His comments echo those of other senior US officials. “National Security” Advisor Mike Waltz recently urged all NATO countries to meet at least the 2% spending target ahead of the alliance’s summit in June.

Meanwhile, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a blunt message at the Army War College, declaring that Europe must no longer rely solely on the US for its security.

“The time of the United States being the sole guarantor of European security has passed,” Hegseth said. “It’s long overdue. Europe has to step up, fund its military, and lead. NATO needs to step up.”

Military spending remains a key issue within NATO and is expected to be front and center at the upcoming summit, where discussions may include revising investment pledges across the alliance.