US Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to skip a meeting of NATO foreign ministers scheduled for next week in Brussels, two US officials said, quoted by Reuters. The agency notes that it is quite unusual for such a key transatlantic forum to take place without the participation of the head of US diplomacy, BTA reported.
One of the officials said that Washington will be represented by Rubio's deputy - Christopher Landau. It is unclear why the secretary of state plans to miss the December 3 meeting, and his plans could change at the last minute.
Reuters notes that Rubio's likely absence comes as U.S. and Ukrainian officials try to narrow differences over President Donald Trump's controversial plan to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while some European diplomats complain they are being left out of the process.
There are usually two formal meetings of NATO foreign ministers a year, and it is extremely rare for the U.S. secretary of state to be absent. In 2017, during Trump's first term, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson initially planned to skip an April meeting, but it was later rescheduled to accommodate his schedule, Reuters recalls.
A State Department spokesman declined to comment on Rubio's possible absence, but said the NATO alliance had been "fully revitalized" during the Trump administration.
A NATO official, in turn, said it was not unusual for some foreign ministers to skip the event.
Rubio's absence could heighten doubts about Washington's commitment to European security, Reuters notes.