Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, has downplayed fears that Washington is seeking to withdraw from NATO, adding that the stronger its members, the stronger the alliance.
Speaking in Bratislava after bilateral talks with Prime Minister Robert Fico, Rubio added that the U.S. wanted other NATO members to have more say in the alliance, which he said was a “positive thing.”
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Washington’s top diplomat said President Donald Trump wants NATO to be stronger and that collective strength comes from individual strength.
“The stronger our allies are the stronger we are collectively,” he said.
At a joint press conference with Fico, Rubio said the U.S. expected every country to act in its own interests and that these would sometimes diverge from Washington’s, which he couched as being part of a relationship based on partnership.
“We’re not asking Europe to be a vassal of the United States,” he said. “We want the [NATO] alliance to be so strong that no one will ever challenge it.”
WATCH: Secretary Rubio Holds a Joint Press Availability with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava, Slovakia https://t.co/RGVpKrZhrC
— Department of State (@StateDept) February 15, 2026
‘Europeanizing’ NATO
Rubio’s comments come against the backdrop of a historic restructuring of NATO’s military hierarchy. On February 10, the alliance confirmed that the U.S. is handing over leadership of all three Joint Force Commands to European officers.
The move has fueled concerns over whether the U.S. is ‘Europeanizing’ NATO as a prelude to downsizing its commitment to the alliance as America shifts its focus to the Indo-Pacific.
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Sunday’s meeting in Bratislava came at the start of a two-day trip by Rubio to Central Europe to meet with the leaders of Slovakia and Hungary.
The prime ministers of both countries—Fico and Viktor Orbán—have courted the Trump administration as they butt heads with the EU over democratic principles and both leaders’ pro-Moscow stance.
Nuclear plan
Rubio’s talks in Bratislava also touched on energy and defense issues, with Fico announcing afterwards that Slovakia hopes to sign a contract with U.S. energy firm Westinghouse by the end of the year for the atomic energy specialist to lead a consortium to build a multi-million-euro nuclear power plant.
Rubio also confirmed that the last four planes from an order by Bratislava for 14 American F-16s would be delivered by year-end. Slovakia bought the military jets in 2018 in the country’s biggest ever defense procurement, reported at €1.6 billion.
Rubio also confirmed that the last four planes from an order by Bratislava for 14 F-16s would be delivered by year-end. Slovakia bought the jets in 2018 in the country’s biggest ever defense procurement at the time, reported at €1.6 billion.
