U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will participate in a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden this week amid concerns from European allies over Washington's plans to reduce its military presence in Europe and President Donald Trump's inconsistent stance on the Alliance. This was reported by the Associated Press, according to UNN.
Details
The U.S. State Department stated that Rubio will arrive at the NATO summit in Helsingborg on Friday. The event will be one of the final high-level meetings before the July summit of Alliance leaders in Ankara.
During the talks, the head of American diplomacy plans to reiterate Washington's demands for "increased defense investment and greater burden-sharing within the alliance."
NATO concerned over U.S. plans to reduce troops in Europe
According to the AP, anxiety is growing in Europe over the Trump administration's statements regarding a possible reduction of the American military presence on the continent. An additional factor of tension has been the war surrounding Iran and rising energy prices.
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The State Department also noted that Rubio will discuss "shared economic and security interests in the Arctic and a strengthened posture in the High North" with NATO's Arctic members.
Following the summit in Sweden, Rubio will travel to India, where he will visit New Delhi, Kolkata, Agra, and Jaipur. He is expected to hold meetings with Indian representatives, as well as with counterparts from Australia and Japan in the Quad group format.
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