NATO foreign ministers from the 32-member alliance convened in Brussels on Wednesday to review Washington’s latest push for ending the ongoing conflict in Ukraine — even as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the meeting, sending a deputy in his place.
The gathering took place just days after US envoys returned from Moscow, where their five-hour-long meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to produce any significant breakthrough in efforts to halt the war.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged the ongoing diplomatic efforts but stressed the need to keep Ukraine militarily prepared. “The peace talks are ongoing, that’s good. But we’re not sure when they will end,” Rutte said. “Ukraine must remain in the strongest possible position to keep the fight going.”
As part of the alliance’s latest support initiative, Germany, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands and Canada jointly announced a commitment of roughly one billion dollars toward a scheme to purchase new American weapons for Ukraine.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide reiterated the alliance’s long-term resolve. “Ukraine needs to stay strong — and we, as allies in the largest and most successful military alliance in history, need to stay firm and committed,” he said.
Rubio’s absence from the Brussels meeting has raised questions among European diplomats, many of whom already feel sidelined in US President Donald Trump’s direct push to end the conflict. The lack of visible US leadership at the meeting risked strengthening that perception.
Several ministers expressed the view that Putin had shown no sign of willingness to offer concessions during recent talks with US representatives. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper delivered a sharp message: “President Putin should end the bluster and the bloodshed and be ready to come to the table to support a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”
The ministers also dismissed the Russian president’s recent claims that Moscow does not seek conflict with Europe, though it is “ready” for war if necessary. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen called Putin’s remarks a familiar intimidation tactic. “It’s rhetoric Russia uses to scare us, and we shouldn’t take such talks too seriously,” she said.
Valtonen added that both NATO and Europe possess “very strong capabilities” and are “ramping up by the day,” underscoring the alliance’s readiness to confront any escalation.