HELSINGBORG, May 22:US President Donald Trump surprised NATO allies by pledging to send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned alliance ministers that Washington's frustration with some of them would still need to be discussed.
"The President's views of, frankly, disappointment at some of our NATO allies and their response to our operations in the Middle East are well documented," Rubio said on Friday at a gathering of NATO foreign ministers in the Swedish town of Helsingborg.
"That will have to be addressed. That won't be solved or addressed today. That's something for the leaders level to discuss," Rubio told reporters, adding that any alliance "has to be good for everyone who's involved".
It was his first meeting with NATO allies since the war ?on Iran sparked deep divisions inside the bloc, with Trump saying he was considering withdrawing from the alliance and questioning whether Washington was bound tohonour its mutual defence pact.
NATO allies reacted with relief to Trump's turnabout that came after weeks in which the president fiercely criticised NATO members for not doing more to help the US-Israeli military campaign.
"Good alliances are those based on cooperation, mutual respect, and a commitment to our shared security," Polish President Karol Nawrocki wrote on X, after Trump had cited his relationship with Nawrocki as the reason behind his decision. �"REUTERS
