WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to attend a NATO meeting in Brussels on Wednesday as transatlantic tensions escalate, fueled by President Donald Trump’s new tariffs on Europe and disputes over Greenland.
Rubio will participate in two days of discussions among NATO foreign ministers, preparing for a leaders’ summit in The Hague this June. The Trump administration has quickly positioned itself at ideological odds with much of Europe, with Vice President JD Vance urging Germany to engage with the far right during a visit in February.
Rubio’s trip comes just hours after Trump enacts sweeping tariffs, aiming to reshape global trade in America’s favor. The move has drawn sharp criticism from European allies, raising concerns about a potential trade war within the Western bloc.
“The president is right to say that global trade is unfair to America,” Rubio stated in a March interview with Fox News Radio. “Of course, other countries are unhappy—they’ve had a great deal and want to keep it that way.”
Beyond trade disputes, tensions have flared over Trump’s interest in Greenland, a resource-rich Arctic territory under Danish sovereignty. Last week, Vance visited a US space base in Greenland, criticizing Denmark’s governance. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, hoping to meet Rubio in Brussels, pushed back, saying, “This is not how you speak to close allies.”
Adding to diplomatic strains, Trump recently rebuked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a White House meeting, with Vance accusing him of being ungrateful for US military aid. The incident has prompted European allies to reassess US commitments, leading Germany to increase defense spending and France to advocate for European-led security initiatives.
Despite tensions, Rubio has met with Ukrainian officials to discuss a US-led proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected while intensifying calls for Zelensky’s removal. Trump, in response, warned of sanctions against firms dealing with Russian oil.
At the Brussels talks, Eastern European nations are expected to urge the US to maintain pressure on Russia. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is shifting its defense focus toward China, pressing NATO allies to take greater responsibility for European security. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s frustration with European military spending was recently exposed in a leaked text exchange, calling it “PATHETIC.”
Ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, Trump is demanding that member states raise their defense budgets to 5% of GDP—higher than what any NATO country, including the US, currently spends.