As U.S. Senator Marco Rubio departed for Washington, he unexpectedly canceled his final press conference — a move attributed by the U.S. delegation to a last-minute scheduling change.
Despite signs of friction, foreign ministers at the gathering remained firm in their message: NATO remains intact and vital.
“In light of the dramatic shift in global affairs, the Czech Republic’s priority is to ensure the U.S. remains engaged in European security,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský told POLITICO. “NATO remains a critical instrument for achieving that.”
Several officials also emphasized that member states are responding to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s longstanding call for increased defense spending.
“Given today’s serious security challenges, our top priority is, naturally, security and defense,” said Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, noting that Latvia plans to raise military spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2028.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte echoed those sentiments in his closing remarks.
“We will invest more. Much more,” he declared at his final press conference.
Laura Kayali contributed reporting from Paris.
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