Brussels – On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his NATO counterparts expressed their full backing for Ukraine and President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war, while acknowledging that Russia needs to do more.

This was stated by a senior State Department official to reporters after the first day of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, as reported by the Washington correspondent of the Kyiv Post, currently in Brussels.

«Russia has yet to demonstrate a commitment to ceasefire, and several allies raised this issue», – said the official following a full day of discussions in various formats, including the Ukraine-NATO Council meeting, which Rubio attended for the first time.

Allies also discussed the need to increase defense contributions. The U.S. emphasized the importance of NATO's collective security and the expansion of the Alliance's defense industry base, the official noted. In particular, some members of the Alliance pledged to increase defense spending to 5%, but did not specify timelines.

Rubio's first visit to NATO headquarters occurred against the backdrop of deteriorating relations between the U.S. and Europe due to new global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. European allies have also been eagerly awaiting details regarding Washington's plans to reduce its participation in NATO in order to better coordinate the strengthening of European defense to avoid security gaps on the continent.

«The United States remains as active in NATO as ever», – Rubio told reporters, standing beside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He also condemned the «hysteria and exaggeration» in the media regarding Donald Trump's intentions, despite ongoing signals from Washington indicating that the Alliance in its current form might no longer be relevant.

Rubio added that Trump is «against NATO that lacks the capabilities needed to fulfill the obligations imposed by the treaty on each member country».

In response to a question from the Kyiv Post regarding the U.S. stance on Europe's desire to purchase weapons locally, the State Department official stated: «We emphasize that there should be no restrictions on purchases».

However, some European allies are deeply concerned about Trump's rhetorical attacks and insults directed at allies like Canada and Denmark.

Rubio and Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen met in the corridors of the ministerial meeting, where Rubio reaffirmed the strong relations between the two countries, according to the State Department's report on the meeting.

«They discussed common priorities, including increasing NATO defense spending and burden-sharing, as well as countering threats to the Alliance, including from Russia and China. They also discussed current coordination efforts to strengthen stability and security in Europe and ensure lasting peace in Ukraine», – noted Rubio's spokesperson, Tami Brue.

In response to a question about how the U.S. reconciles its policy differences with European policies regarding support for Ukraine, the State Department official assured that there are no significant discrepancies among allies on this issue, and that support for Ukraine's position is clear.

«Most Alliance members recognize that Ukraine seeks a ceasefire and broader peace», – the official emphasized.