Marco Rubio travels to the NATO meeting “very upset” by the allies' position on Iran
The Secretary of State criticized European allies for refusing to engage militarily against Tehran
Secretary Marco Rubio left this Thursday for the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, amid growing tension between Washington and several European allies over their refusal to get involved in the war against Iran.
Before boarding his plane in Miami, Rubio assured that President Donald Trump's administration is “very upset” and “disappointed” by the position of several member countries of the Atlantic alliance.
"If all these countries in the world agree with us, we should do something about it. But they are all hiding. So yes, we are very upset about that. The president has made it very clear," Rubio declared.
The head of US diplomacy insisted on pointing out Spain as one of the main sources of friction, after the Spanish government refused to allow the use of the Rota and Morón military bases for refueling operations for US aircraft linked to the offensive against Iran.
"NATO is good for the United States because it provides us with bases in the region that allow us to project power in the event of a contingency in the Middle East and other places. If member countries like Spain deny us the use of these bases, why are we still in NATO? We have to talk about that," Rubio stated.
The statements further raise tension between Washington and several European partners, at a time when the White House has toughened its criticism of the Atlantic alliance. According to Reuters, Trump even recently went so far as to question the United States' commitment to NATO due to differences arising from the war with Iran.
The meeting in Sweden is also being held under the impact of the recent American announcement to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany and suspend the deployment of another 4,000 troops in Poland, a decision interpreted in Europe as a measure of pressure on the allies.
Rubio had already expressed this discomfort during an official visit to Italy at the beginning of May. He then warned that denying the use of US military bases in European territory “is a problem that must be examined.”
Thus, the Helsingborg meeting will serve as preparation for the next summit of NATO leaders, scheduled for July 7 and 8 in Ankara, Turkey, where one of the central topics will be the increase in military spending up to 5% of GDP agreed last year in The Hague.