ISTANBUL

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reaffirmed the US commitment to NATO in a conversation with Mark Rutte, head of the 32-member military alliance.

Rubio detailed President Donald Trump’s foreign policy priorities to Rutte, and they discussed the need for capable defense allies and equitable burden sharing, the State Department said on Thursday.

The two leaders also discussed ending Russia’s war in Ukraine through peaceful means and stressed the strategic connection between the Euro-Atlantic and Asia-Pacific regions.

In a post on X, Rutte said he looks forward to working together on Ukraine, Russia and China.

“Ramping up defense spending in Europe and boosting transatlantic defence production makes us all stronger,” he added.

Trump has demanded that members of the transatlantic alliance spend 5% of their GDP on defense, an increase from the current 2% goal.

Rubio speaks to Israeli, Egyptian, Costa Rican, Polish counterparts

Rubio also spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, and reaffirmed "steadfast" US support for Israel.

He congratulated his Israeli counterpart on recent hostage releases and Gaza ceasefire agreement, pledging ongoing efforts to secure remaining hostages and welcomed humanitarian aid flow to the war-hit region.

Discussions with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty centered on the US-Egypt strategic partnership and its importance for promoting regional security and stability.

They explored regional peace efforts, humanitarian assistance in Gaza, and Rubio thanked Abdelatty for their efforts during the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

They also discussed developments in Syria and the need to prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or from posing a threat to its neighbors.

His conversation with Costa Rican Foreign Minister Arnoldo Andre addressed hemispheric security, focusing on migration challenges and combating transnational criminal enterprises.

With Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, the two discussed reinforcing US-Poland relations, defense cooperation and energy security as critical components of transatlantic partnership.