Rubio confirms US is ‘going to remain in NATO’ and wants members to achieve 5% of GDP in defence spending

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that the US President supports NATO and America is an active member within the alliance.

Rubio met with NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels on Thursday and told the NATO chief Mark Rutte the US is “active in NATO.”

During a press briefing Rubio said standing with Rutte, “As we speak right now, the United States is as active in NATO as it has ever been.”

Donald Trump has previously accused countries in the EU of not spending their fair share to NATO and being reliant on the US for support. Trump said last year that countries who fail to meet their GDP defence spending, the US will not help defend those countries if attacked.

Rubio said at the press briefing, “Some of this hysteria and hyperbole that I see in the global media, and some domestic media in the United States, about NATO is unwarranted,” the Kyiv Independent reported.

Rubio added, “President Trump has made clear he supports NATO. We’re going to remain in NATO,” and he insisted that NATO members should commit harder and further and meet a target of 5% of GDP.

He praised Poland and the Baltics for aiming to hit 5% of GDP over the next few years since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The US Secretary of State said, “We want NATO to be more viable. And the only way NATO can get stronger and more viable is if our partners, the nation states that comprise this important alliance, have more capability.”

He added that “Hard power is still necessary as a deterrent.”