German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful is to visit the US, where he will hold talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The talks will take place ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara (Turkey), scheduled for July. Wadeful and Rubio will focus primarily on the issue of burden-sharing within NATO, as Washington has increasingly expressed dissatisfaction with the current system. Earlier, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegset criticised NATO allies for their military spending and their lack of initial support for the US war in Iran. Hegset reiterated US President Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw troops from Europe, where Washington stations them to assist with Europe’s defence and to ensure the faster deployment of US military power abroad.
The German Foreign Ministry stated that the talks would address the issue of continued support for Ukraine, as well as the situation in the Middle East following the recent renewed escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran.
Before his departure, Wadeful emphasised the need for unity within the Western military alliance: “Our Euro-Atlantic security depends crucially on whether we in NATO will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder just as resolutely as we have done until now.”
It is reported that following his visit to the US, Wadeful will travel to Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, for the Mercosur summit, which is due to take place on Tuesday.
