The United States will not be represented at the top level for the second consecutive time at a NATO ministerial meeting this week.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed at a press conference in Brussels on Wednesday that, instead of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Deputy Secretary Elbridge Colby will attend the NATO defence ministers’ meeting on Thursday.
In December, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio cancelled his participation in a long-planned NATO meeting in Brussels.
It is highly unusual for US ministers not to attend a formal NATO meeting in person.
After the first rumours about Hegseth’s cancellation became known, long-serving former NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu (2010-23) wrote on the social network LinkedIn that it was probably the first time in the alliance’s history that there would be two consecutive NATO ministerial meetings without a US minister.
She said this sends a bad signal at a very tense time in trans-Atlantic relations and would only further exacerbate the concerns of other allies about the US commitment to NATO.
Rutte fully accepts decision
Recently, the dispute over Greenland has caused trouble within the alliance.
US President Donald Trump had at times tried to force a sale of the vast Arctic island to his country with threats of punitive tariffs. He justified his actions with the claim that the territory, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, would otherwise not be safe from Russia and China.
Rutte, however, downplayed Hegseth’s decision. He said his contacts with top politicians in the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department were as intense as ever.
Of course, NATO is important, but the US side also has to take care of the Pacific region, Rutte said, adding that he fully accepts that the highest-ranking ministers cannot always be at meetings in person.
He added that Colby is a very important man with responsibility for political guidelines.