Rubio says Europe must shoulder more defence burden

Washington, June 2 (IANS) Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday said European allies must take greater responsibility for their own defence, arguing that the United States can no longer bear a disproportionate share of security obligations while facing growing challenges in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and elsewhere.

Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio defended the Trump administration’s push for higher NATO defence spending and said many European countries would have to make difficult choices if they are serious about meeting their military commitments.

“The reality of NATO, whether we like to hear it or not, is that many of the countries in Europe were able to build these very robust social safety nets because they didn’t have to spend it on defence, because NATO and the United States were providing it for them,” Rubio said.

The secretary’s comments came during a discussion about upcoming NATO and G7 meetings and broader questions about burden-sharing within the alliance.

Rubio said some NATO members had pledged to increase defence spending but warned that promises alone would not be enough.

“They’ve made these pledges that they’re going to increase their defence spending and their defence capability. It actually has to be on defence,” he said.

He argued that countries would eventually have to choose between raising taxes, cutting domestic spending, or accepting slower economic growth to fund stronger militaries.

“The bigger challenge that much of Europe faces, many countries in NATO face, their economies are not growing,” Rubio said.

Rubio also stressed that Washington’s global commitments extend far beyond Europe.

“The United States has global obligations,” he said, pointing to the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, and the Western Hemisphere as regions competing for American attention and resources.

“We don’t have unlimited military resources,” Rubio added.

The secretary suggested that some allies have not fully appreciated the pressures facing the United States as it balances multiple security challenges simultaneously.

His remarks drew questions from Senator Chris Coons, who noted Rubio’s long-standing support for NATO and asked whether the alliance’s Article 5 mutual defence commitment remained unconditional.

Rubio responded by reaffirming his support for NATO while raising concerns about whether all members are contributing equally to the partnership.

“I have throughout my entire career in the Senate and through much of my time now in this administration been a supporter of NATO,” Rubio said.

At the same time, he questioned the value of alliance arrangements if some members restrict U.S. military access during crises.

“If the core rationale for us being in NATO, if what we get out of NATO is the ability to use bases, and then we have members of that alliance that are basically denying the use of those bases in a contingency, it calls into question the entire thing,” Rubio said.

Rubio also praised Sweden and Finland, NATO’s newest members, describing them as valuable additions because they bring advanced defence industries and military capabilities rather than relying heavily on other allies.

“Sweden and Finland have actually contributed because they brought their own defence industry, their own advanced technologies,” he said.

–IANS

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