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US Secretary of State Mark Rubio Joins NATO-Ukraine Council for First Time as Allies Pledge Long-Term Support

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Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
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US Secretary of State Mark Rubio Joins NATO-Ukraine Council for First Time as Allies Pledge Long-Term Support
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shake hands after holding a joint press conference during NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers' meeting at NATO headquarters on April 03, 2025, in Brussels, Belgium. (Source: Getty Images)

US Secretary of State Mark Rubio took part for the first time in a NATO–Ukraine Council meeting, which Ukrainian officials described as productive and encouraging, Ukrainian media outlet Babel reported on April 4.

Following the meeting in Brussels, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said several new commitments were made to support Ukraine and ramp up pressure on Russia—including through tougher sanctions and the use of frozen Russian assets.

Reporting from the scene, Babel’s correspondent noted that every country speaking at the council reaffirmed its long-term support for Ukraine.

For Kyiv, the priority remains strengthening the domestic defense industry.

“We surprised the world with our capabilities,” Sybiha said. “And yesterday, we heard not only support for direct orders from our domestic arms manufacturers—whose weapons are often better than their Western counterparts—but also interest in investing.”

Earlier, Rubio stated that the United States has no intention of leaving NATO, but member states must significantly increase their defense spending—up to 5% of GDP.

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