The American Secretary of State is considering not attending the upcoming meeting of the foreign ministers of its member countries in Brussels, two American officials, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters. The absence of the US Secretary of State from such a meeting is highly unusual, as analysts point out.
According to Reuters, again citing an unnamed American official, the US will be represented at the Summit by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.
It is unclear why Rubio plans not to attend the Dec. 3 meeting, and Reuters notes that his plans could change at the last minute.
But the issue comes as U.S. and Ukrainian officials try to bridge differences over President Donald Trump’s plan to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with some European diplomats complaining they are being left out of the process.
Unusual, but not the first time
There are two official meetings of NATO foreign ministers each year, and it is traditionally extremely rare for the US secretary of state to be absent. In 2017, during Trump’s first term, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson initially planned not to attend the April meeting, but the meeting was then rescheduled to accommodate his schedule.
A NATO official interviewed by Reuters deferred to the US on whether or not Rubio would attend, but said it was not unusual for foreign ministers not to attend.
“NATO hosts several ministerial meetings each year, and while most Allies are represented by ministers in most cases, it is not unusual for circumstances to prevent a minister from attending all or part of a NATO meeting,” the official said.
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
The development comes at a critical time for Ukraine and NATO
Ukrainian and European officials have expressed concerns that they will be forced to accept a deal that is too favorable to Russian interests — concerns that intensified significantly after a 28-point plan to end the war was leaked on Nov. 18.
A Rubio absence risks deepening questions about Washington’s commitment to European security, which has already taken a hit in recent years.
Landau, the number two US diplomat expected to replace Rubio, had questioned the need for NATO in a June post on Platform X, which he later deleted.
Trump reaffirmed his confidence in the alliance at a NATO summit in June, but has also been pressing member states to increase defense spending, saying Washington was no longer going to “bail them out financially.”
