U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Sweden this week for talks with NATO foreign ministers before heading to India for meetings focused on trade, energy and defence cooperation.
According to the U.S. State Department, Rubio will attend meetings in Helsingborg on 22 May, where discussions are expected to centre on increasing defence spending among NATO allies and strengthening what Washington calls “burden sharing” within the alliance.
The visit comes at a sensitive time for relations between the United States and NATO under President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly criticised European allies for failing to spend enough on defence and has previously threatened to withdraw the U.S. from the alliance altogether.
During his stop in Sweden, Rubio is also expected to meet foreign ministers from the Arctic Seven countries - Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.
Talks will focus on economic cooperation and regional security concerns in the Arctic, an area becoming increasingly important due to rising geopolitical tensions and competition over trade routes and resources.
Tensions between Washington and some European governments have deepened in recent months. Differences emerged after several European countries declined to send naval support to secure the Strait of Hormuz, while Trump’s earlier suggestion that the U.S. should acquire Greenland also caused friction with Denmark.
European leaders have since acknowledged the need for the continent to take greater responsibility for its own defence.
Last year, NATO members agreed new defence spending goals, setting targets of 3.5% of GDP for core military spending and an additional 1.5% for areas such as cybersecurity, logistics and infrastructure.
After Sweden, Rubio will travel to India from 23 to 26 May. His itinerary includes stops in Kolkata, Agra, Jaipur and New Delhi.
The State Department said discussions will focus on energy security, trade ties and defence cooperation between the two countries.
Relations between Washington and New Delhi have become more complicated during Trump’s second term. While Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a close relationship during Trump’s first presidency, tensions grew after the U.S. imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods last year.
Many of those tariffs were later eased, and both countries are now working towards a trade agreement aimed at preventing further economic disputes.
India is also part of the Quad alliance alongside the United States, Japan and Australia.
Japanese media reports suggest Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi is expected to visit New Delhi on 26 May for a Quad meeting focused on strengthening supply chains for critical minerals in response to China’s growing influence.
However, the U.S. State Department did not mention any planned Quad meeting in its statement.
Energy security is expected to be a major topic during Rubio’s India visit.
In an April phone call, Trump and Modi stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure. The route is critical for India, with around 40% of the country’s crude oil imports passing through the waterway.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of th...
Somaliland has announced plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem, marking a further step in its emerging diplomatic engagement with Israel, its ambas...
Investigators have discovered what officials described as “anti-Islamic writings” inside a vehicle connected to the two teenagers accus...
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Sweden this week for talks with NATO foreign ministers before heading to India for ...
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green ...
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
Somaliland has announced plans to open an embassy in Jerusalem, marking a further step in its emerging diplomatic engagement with Israel, its ambassador Mohamed Hagi said. The move comes after Israel became the first country to formally recognise the self-declared republic.
Investigators have discovered what officials described as “anti-Islamic writings” inside a vehicle connected to the two teenagers accused of carrying out the deadly shooting at a mosque in San Diego, according to a U.S. Department of Justice official familiar with the case.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
Investigators have discovered what officials described as “anti-Islamic writings” inside a vehicle connected to the two teenagers accused of carrying out the deadly shooting at a mosque in San Diego, according to a U.S. Department of Justice official familiar with the case.
A proposed nuclear cooperation agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia is facing criticism from Democratic lawmakers and non-proliferation experts, who say the deal lacks the strongest safeguards designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Estonia said on Tuesday (19 May) that a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over its territory, in the latest reported airspace violation in the region amid ongoing Ukrainian strikes against Russia.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment