Posted on 04/25/2025 9:56:32 AM PDT by Kazan
In a sharp criticism of NATO’s European members that has become increasingly common in the Trump administration, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued a stark warning, urging the alliance’s member states to dramatically increase their defense budgets or risk undermining the credibility of the entire organization.
“NATO is only as strong as the commitments of its members,” Rubio told The Free Press in an interview. “If the US is carrying the lion’s share, with European nations as mere junior partners, that’s not a true alliance—it’s a dependency.”
Rubio’s comments come amid rising frustration in Washington over NATO’s continued reliance on American military and financial support. Despite a 2014 agreement among NATO members to allocate 2% of GDP to defense, many European countries still fail to meet that target, leaving the US to bear the brunt of NATO’s costs.
“The US is pulling more than its fair weight,” Rubio said. “For NATO to remain credible, its members must fulfill their responsibilities. If this is to be a real alliance, it must be a mutual commitment—not just one where the US covers the bill.”
Rubio, known for his hawkish foreign policy stance, proposed that NATO members aim for a far higher benchmark: 5% of GDP spent on defense. His proposal comes in response to the continued underfunding by key European nations, especially in light of growing global threats.
“If NATO is going to continue to function as a credible defense force, it must be a real partnership, not a freeloading arrangement,” Rubio asserted. “Europe must step up to the plate. It’s time for allies to make the necessary sacrifices.”
Rubio’s remarks come after his first NATO foreign ministers’ meeting earlier this month, where he sought to reassure European allies of US commitment to the alliance under President Donald Trump. However, the message was clear: the era of American indulgence is over.
This sentiment is echoed by other senior US officials, including National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who recently underscored that Washington expects all NATO members to meet the 2% defense spending target by the June NATO summit.
“Europe’s security cannot remain a one-way street,” Waltz remarked. “The U.S. will no longer bear the brunt of NATO’s defense costs while others shirk their responsibilities.”
Defense spending has long been a contentious issue within the alliance. But Rubio’s forceful rhetoric highlights a renewed US push for more equitable burden-sharing, especially as geopolitical tensions continue to escalate.
“The United States is still committed to NATO,” Rubio emphasized, “but not as a one-sided enterprise. For NATO to remain effective, Europe must do more.”
Rubio’s stance signals a broader shift in US foreign policy, one that prioritizes American interests and demands greater contributions from European allies. This shift has also been echoed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who made similar remarks during a speech at the Army War College in Pennsylvania.
“The era of the US being the sole guarantor of European security is over,” Hegseth declared. “It’s time for Europe to take responsibility for its own defense. NATO’s 2% target is no longer enough. If Europe wants security, Europe must fund it.”
With the NATO summit just around the corner, the alliance is facing a critical juncture. If European nations fail to meet the growing demands for defense spending, they risk fracturing the unity of NATO at a time when the global security landscape is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
The question now is whether Europe will heed the call for stronger defense investments, or whether the US will be forced to reconsider its role in NATO’s future. The outcome may well shape the future of the alliance and its capacity to address emerging global threats.
The Eurotrash reptiles ruling Europe had better step up or they will find themselves all alone and at the mercy of their angry citizens.
The USA bears 2/3 of the cost of NATO.
That’s more like it, call them out! They talk and talk while doing nothing and risking nothing.
The rich euro “royalty” have tons of property and treasures...and money. Sell off some of it to defend your selves, you parasitic losers.
Rubio is staying on message and saying what needs to be said
I expected Rubio to be a pretty good, loyal, SoS. Didn’t expect him to be MAGA whoopass good. He should give some of what he’s drinking to Blondi and Patel.
Just remember this...
Russia is extremely rich in natural resources.
The EU and its nation states are not.
We can negotiate a trade deal with Russia to access eastern Siberia on the pacific rim.
We can no longer negotiate anything from Europe for natural resources..because they havent enough to negotiate with.
Which leaves one thing. EUROPE will always be a beggers region to deal with.
Get out of there-NATO and EU. Deal with each nation individually.
“I expected Rubio to be a pretty good, loyal, SoS. Didn’t expect him to be MAGA whoopass good.”
It may be that Rubio understands that when the President gives you a job, you are obligated to be fully on board and serve the President and America despite any prior differences of opinion.
He certainly does.
Based in Europe need to be exited. Begin that pullback and watch them scream from the after-effects:
1) Less employment for some of their citizens. Unless those citizens wanted to join their country’s military.
2) Less dollars of our soldiers and their families being spent off-base and in the local community. That would impact not only the tax revenues being collected by businesses, but it could impact the very businesses themselves.
3) The EU countries would have to increase their spending, by a much greater amount than 5%, to maintain the same level of security.
I would start with the military installations and personnel located in Germany.
The EUropeans are like Christians who think they are saved , but they never took their savior as the authority.
Trump is thru with those who outwardly now reject his authority as US President.
They are going to find Trump is leaving with his authority, and his job was never to bring g peace, but rather establish authority WHICH DCN, EUropeans & Zelinski REJECT.
THE EU & ZELINSKI are their own authority. Let them decide what peace they have authority to implement.
LOL!! Most of them haven’t even been able to fund the 2% of their GDP that they agreed to back in 2014.
Get out of there-NATO and EU. Deal with each nation individually.
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Eyes on Turkey, an Islamic nation in NATO needs re-thinking…as does this outdated, dollar black hole called NATO.
Rubio should send them a piss off letter.
You were wrong about Rubio. You are wrong about Bondi and patel.
You were wrong about Gaetz.
I am expecting nothing from NATO allies. Ukraine’s fate vs Russia depends upon Ukraine’s European allies - particularly Germany, a country that wants to quickly re-establish the cozy business relations that Germany had with pre-war Russia.
Germany alone, could have boosted artillery shell production to meet Ukraine’s needs, by May 2023 . . . but is still missing in action, contrary to public appearances.
The guy that looks just like Rubio is kicking ass. It’s as if someone is using one of those mission impossible face masks of Rubio. Kidding aside, WTF has happened to Rubio? He’s in beast mode!
He doesn’t need to scold them - if they don’t pull their share we should just leave NATO.
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