Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of War, is “missing a good party” by choosing to skip a meeting of his fellow NATO defence ministers in Brussels, one ally has said.
Other allies were more diplomatic, playing down the no-show, though Germany’s defence minister underlined the need for the alliance to become “more European” to remain transatlantic.
The comments were made as defence ministers from the 32-nation bloc gathered at NATO headquarters on Thursday to discuss steps to increase European security one year after Mr Hegseth warned them that the United States was shifting its focus to other priorities and Europe needed to take the lead in defending itself.
Sky News asked a number of ministers, as they arrived, what they thought about the secretary of war deciding not to return to NATO headquarters for this year’s ministerial, instead sending Elbridge Colby, his deputy – and whether this was a signal that the United States was less interested in the security of Europe.
Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir, the foreign minister of Iceland, who is also responsible for defence, said: “Sadly for him he is missing a good party. Of course, it is always better that the ministers attend here but I will not describe it as a bad signal.”
She said allies had already been tested earlier in the year when Donald Trump threatened to seize Greenland – even though it is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, a fellow member of NATO.
Mark Rutte, the head of the alliance, defused that crisis when he spoke with the US president on the sidelines of a major economic forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, making clear that defending the Arctic is a core priority for all allies.
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On Wednesday, NATO announced an enhanced mission to protect the high north, called Arctic Sentry. The move appears designed to demonstrate to Mr Trump that the territory is well protected from threats from Russia and China.
“I think now the alliance is stronger than in the beginning of the year,” the Icelandic foreign minister said.
Boris Pistorius, the defence minister of Germany, which is hugely ramping up its defence spending in response to Mr Trump’s demands, said he was “not disappointed” that his American counterpart had stayed away from the NATO meeting.
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“I know everybody, each of us had a full, full agenda,” he told Sky News.
Mr Pistorius said it was right that Europe played a much greater role in defending itself.
“The time has come that the Europeans take over more and more step by step in the years to come,” he said.
“This is absolutely normal and natural. I understand, and I support this direction.”
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Mr Pistorius said the main point for him was that the United States is a member of NATO and remains a member of NATO.
But “a key to keep NATO transatlantic, it is necessary to make it more European”.
