The redeployment of U.S. troops from Europe is not a punitive measure, says Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that a possible redeployment of U.S. troops in Europe should not be viewed as a punishment for NATO allies.
He made these remarks before the start of the Alliance’s foreign ministers’ meeting in Helsingborg, speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
According to Rubio, the United States is indeed disappointed by the reaction of some European partners to U.S. operations in the Middle East, but the issue of troop redeployment is primarily linked to Washington’s global commitments.
“This is not a punitive measure; it’s simply happening, and it has happened before,” the U.S. Secretary of State emphasized.
He explained that the U.S. is forced to regularly review the deployment of its forces in various regions of the world due to the need to respond to international challenges and maintain a military presence at strategically important locations.
At the same time, Rubio stressed that the U.S. continues to actively cooperate with its NATO allies. As an example, he cited the decision to deploy additional U.S. troops in Poland.
Separately, the Secretary of State drew attention to the problems facing the West’s defense-industrial base. According to him, current rates of ammunition production are insufficient to meet the future needs of allies.
“We are simply unable today to produce ammunition at the rate necessary to meet future needs,” Rubio stated.
He also cited Iran as one of the key topics of the meeting. Rubio reiterated Washington’s position that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons and expressed concern over Tehran’s plans to potentially introduce a toll system for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in turn, stated that one of the main topics of the talks would be continued military support for Ukraine. He thanked the U.S. for continuing to supply American weapons to Ukraine, which are funded by European and Canadian allies.
At the same time, Marco Rubio did not specifically address the topic of Ukraine in his speech.
