NATO Allies Downplay Second Straight U.S. Minister No‑Show as Hegseth and Rubio Skip Meetings
NATO allies shrugged off Pete Hegseth’s absence from the Feb. 12 defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels — the second consecutive U.S. minister no‑show after Senator Marco Rubio missed the December foreign ministers’ session — with leaders downplaying its significance while urging Europe and Canada to shoulder more of the conventional defense burden. The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, once chaired by the Pentagon under Biden, is now led by the U.K. and Germany as U.S. weapons and funding for Ukraine have largely dried up under President Trump.
📌 Key Facts
- This is the second straight U.S. minister no‑show: Pete Hegseth skipped the Feb. 12 NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels, following Marco Rubio’s absence from the December NATO foreign ministers’ meeting.
- NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Iceland’s foreign minister explicitly downplayed the significance of the U.S. no‑shows.
- Those NATO officials also stressed that Europe and Canada must assume more of the conventional defense burden.
- The Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which was once chaired by the Pentagon under the Biden administration, is now being chaired by the U.K. and Germany.
- The report says U.S. guns and money to Ukraine have largely dried up under the Trump administration.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
February 12, 2026
10:17 PM
NATO allies focus on Europe as Hegseth, Rubio skip meetings
New information:
- Confirms that Pete Hegseth skipped the Feb. 12 NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels and that this follows Marco Rubio’s absence from the December NATO foreign ministers’ meeting.
- Quotes NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Iceland’s foreign minister explicitly downplaying the significance of the U.S. no‑shows while stressing that Europe and Canada must assume more of the conventional defense burden.
- Details that the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, once chaired by the Pentagon under Biden, is now being chaired by the U.K. and Germany as U.S. guns and money to Ukraine have largely dried up under Trump.