US planning to leave NATO? Rubio calls for Alliance to be 'reimagined'
Photo: US Secretary of State Mark Rubio (Getty Images)
NATO needs to be reimagined, and European countries must significantly increase their defense capabilities. Without this, even security guarantees remain dependent on US support, according to US Secretary of State Mark Rubio's speech before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, The Guardian reports.
Mark Rubio addressed US lawmakers with a critical assessment of NATO’s current state, noting that the Alliance should not change its goals but rather enhance its capabilities.
According to him, European partners must invest more in defense to play a meaningful role independently, rather than relying on US support.
As an example, Rubio cited security guarantees for Ukraine. Current efforts by European countries such as France and the United Kingdom remain limited and require US support to be effective.
"Nato is going to be stronger if our allies are more capable… That’s not an abandonment of Nato, that is a reality of the 21st century," the Secretary of State emphasized.
NATO and the US
Recently, the Pentagon unveiled the updated 2026 US National Defense Strategy, which places primary emphasis on domestic security, while support for European allies is limited.
The US plans to reduce its personnel at several key NATO headquarters.
At the end of 2025, Republican Thomas Massie, a member of the US House of Representatives, proposed a bill for the United States to withdraw from NATO. In his view, the Alliance has lost its relevance since the end of the "Cold War."
At the same time, according to Politico, NATO does not yet have a contingency plan in case the US leaves the Alliance.
Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent assured that the country will remain a NATO member, though he did not directly answer whether Greenland or the Alliance is more important for national security, calling the question a "false choice."
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy also emphasized that NATO cannot guarantee the protection of its member states without US participation.
