Overview
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio struck a warmer tone but said the United States is prepared to act alone if allies fall short, framing partnership as contingent on greater European burden-sharing.
- European leaders touted concrete steps, with Ursula von der Leyen citing up to €800 billion in EU mobilization and data showing EU defense outlays rising to an estimated €381 billion in 2025 from €251 billion in 2021.
- NATO officials urged a shift from spending targets to deliverable capabilities and kept Ukraine at the center of messaging, warning that reduced pressure would grant Russia space for further aggression.
- Strains persisted over President Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, with Latvia’s prime minister declaring there will be no ‘business as usual’ and policymakers floating ideas from a European Security Council to exploratory talks on a nuclear backstop.
- Analysts emphasized that the transatlantic relationship remains deeply interdependent and unlikely to split, even as skepticism lingered over U.S. reliability following Rubio’s limited focus on Ukraine and a last‑minute withdrawal from a high‑level Ukraine meeting.