US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to skip the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on December 3, Reuters reported, citing US officials.
Washington will be represented by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, the second-highest-ranking US diplomat.
Rubio made the decision at a “particularly tense time for Ukraine“ – against the backdrop of the resignation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and the work of the American and Ukrainian sides on the US peace plan, the statement said.
The US secretary of state's absence from the meeting could exacerbate questions about Washington's commitment to European security, Reuters notes.
There are usually only two formal meetings of NATO foreign ministers a year, and the US secretary of state is rarely absent from them, the article said. The State Department noted that Rubio regularly holds talks with NATO allies, but declined to comment on Rubio's possible absence from the upcoming meeting.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly hinted that he may leave NATO. Early last year, he said that Washington would remain in NATO under his leadership only if the alliance "pays its dues." After coming to power for the second time, the Republican secured the agreement of NATO member states to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. Of this, 3.5% will be allocated directly for defense needs, and another 1.5% will be allocated for related expenses, such as cybersecurity and infrastructure development. Russia perceives the increase in NATO defense spending as a dangerous trend.