Rubio to attend NATO talks and visit India

(Patria) - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with his NATO counterparts following US threats to withdraw troops, and will also visit India for the first time after a cooling-off period between the countries, reports AFP.

The State Department confirmed that Rubio will participate in talks between NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden on Friday, which will be a preparation for the NATO summit in Turkey in July, which President Donald Trump is expected to attend.

The top US diplomat "will discuss the need for increased defense spending and greater burden-sharing within the Alliance," the State Department said in a statement.

Trump recently decided to withdraw 5,000 US troops from Germany despite increased European concerns about Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Trump has long said that the United States bears an unfair burden in the Cold War-era alliance, but his decision came immediately after anger at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who criticized Trump's war with Israel against Iran.

Rubio will meet with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the State Department announced.

Rubio will then head to India, which will be his first visit to the world's largest democracy since Trump returned to office nearly a year and a half ago.

US presidents, who have differed, have courted India for decades, but Trump became angry with India last year and temporarily imposed punitive tariffs.

The rift occurred after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to give Trump credit for ending a brief war a year ago between India and Pakistan, triggered by the massacre of mostly Hindu civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Pakistan has assertively courted Trump's favor, saying he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, and recently volunteered as a mediator to end the war with Iran.

Vice President JD Vance recently visited Pakistan for talks on Iran, and Trump was optimistic last week about a trip to China, which was previously considered a cause for concern that united India and the United States.

Unusually for Rubio, who typically maintains a fast pace, the State Department said he will visit four cities in India. In addition to New Delhi, he will visit Agra, home to the world-famous Taj Mahal, as well as the palace-filled city of Jaipur, and the eastern metropolis of Kolkata.