U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to skip a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels next week, two U.S. officials told reporters, marking a highly unusual absence for the top American diplomat at a major transatlantic gathering.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau will represent Washington instead, according to one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter.
Timing and Context
It remains unclear why Rubio plans to skip the 3 December meeting, and his plans could change at the last moment. However, the likely absence comes at a critical time as U.S. and Ukrainian officials work to narrow differences over President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some European diplomats have expressed concern that they are being excluded from the process.
Typically, NATO holds two formal meetings of foreign ministers per year, and it is exceedingly rare for a U.S. secretary of state to be absent. In 2017, during Trump’s first term, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson initially planned to skip an April meeting, though it was later rescheduled to accommodate his schedule.
Official Statements
A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on Rubio’s potential absence, but noted that the NATO alliance had been “completely revitalised” during the Trump administration.
“The historic foreign policy achievements in just 10 months of this Administration speak for themselves,” the spokesperson said.
A NATO official deferred to the United States regarding Rubio’s attendance but added that it was not unusual for some foreign ministers to miss the event.
Concerns Over Ukraine and European Security
Ukrainian and European officials have voiced concerns about being pressured into a deal perceived as overly favourable to Russian interests, especially after a draft 28-point plan to end the war was leaked on 18 November.
Rubio’s absence raises questions over Washington’s commitment to European security, which has faced scrutiny in recent years.
Landau, the deputy U.S. diplomat attending in Rubio’s place, previously questioned the need for NATO in a June post on X, which he later deleted. While Trump reaffirmed his support for NATO during a summit in June, he has also consistently urged member states to increase defence spending, saying the U.S. will no longer “bail them out.”
Additional Developments in Ukraine
The absence occurs at a sensitive moment for Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned on Friday, shortly after anti-corruption agents searched his home.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday (29 January) for talks he hopes will deepen economic ties, sign...
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday (28 January) to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next U.S. attack would...
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has...
Storm Kristin has killed at least three people and left more than 800,000 residents without electricity across central and northern Portugal, as viole...
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a dec...
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummeled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday.
Storm Kristin has killed at least three people and left more than 800,000 residents without electricity across central and northern Portugal, as violent winds, heavy rain and snowfall battered the country before moving into Spain.
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a decision that had been widely expected and largely priced in.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called for tax increases on the city’s wealthiest residents and most profitable corporations, warning that the city is facing a fiscal crisis on a scale greater than the Great Recession.
France’s National Assembly has approved a bill banning access to social media for children under 15, a move backed by President Emmanuel Macron and the government as part of efforts to protect teenagers’ mental and physical health.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also end up hurting civilian citizens.
A routine military training exercise turned into a major recovery mission this week after a catastrophic mudslide swept through a hillside in West Java, Indonesia.
Residents in Syria’s Kurdish-majority city of Qamishli have stepped up volunteer patrols amid growing pressure from the country’s Islamist-led government, expressing deep mistrust of Damascus despite a fragile U.S.-backed ceasefire.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday (29 January) for talks he hopes will deepen economic ties, signalling a potential breakthrough after years of strained relations.
U.S. President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday (28 January) to come to the table and make a deal on nuclear weapons or the next U.S. attack would be far worse. Tehran responded with a threat to strike back against the United States.
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummeled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called for tax increases on the city’s wealthiest residents and most profitable corporations, warning that the city is facing a fiscal crisis on a scale greater than the Great Recession.
The United States is handing over a tanker to Venezuela that it seized earlier this month, according to two U.S. officials, marking the first known case of Donald Trump’s administration returning such a vessel, Reuters reported.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment