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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed what he said was "hysteria" about America's future in NATO, saying President Donald Trump has been clear that the U.S. will remain in the defensive alliance.
"The United States is in NATO...As we speak right now, the United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been," Rubio told reporters at a NATO meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels.
"And some of this hysteria and hyperbole that I see in the global media and some domestic media in the United States about NATO is unwarranted.
"President Trump has made clear he supports NATO. We're gonna remain in NATO. He's made clear."
Rubio said he hopes to leave the NATO meeting with a commitment from all allies to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense, to make the alliance "stronger" and "more viable", even if it means the trade-off is lower spending on social programs in Europe.
He said this will also mean the U.S. increasing its defense spending.
"The only way NATO can get stronger and more viable is if our partners, the nation states that comprise this important alliance, have more capability," Rubio said.
"Because if the threats truly are as dire as I believe they are, and the members of this alliance believe they are, then that threat has to be confronted by a full and real commitment to have the capability to confront these things."
Rubio said Trump is "not against NATO".
"He is against a NATO that does not have the capabilities that it needs to fulfill the obligations that the treaty imposes on each and every member state," he said.
"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. This is a hard truth, but it's a basic one that needs to be said now."
This is a breaking news story and more information will be added soon.
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This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 6:27 AM.