United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared on Thursday that the U.S. will need to raise its defense spending due to what he described as “dire” global threats. Speaking during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Rubio emphasized the urgency of reinforcing defense commitments both in the U.S. and among other NATO allies.

“The world is in a dangerous place,” Rubio stated. “The United States is prepared to act accordingly, and that includes raising our defense budget.”

Rubio highlighted the ongoing NATO ministerial meetings and stated that he hopes the discussions will result in a clear commitment from every alliance member to work toward spending up to 5% of GDP on defense. “We need to leave this meeting knowing we are on a realistic pathway toward fulfilling that promise,” he added.

The U.S. official also addressed concerns in the media about Washington’s commitment to NATO. “There’s been a lot of hysteria out there suggesting the U.S. is looking to pull back from the alliance. That’s just not the case,” Rubio clarified. “We’ve made it very clear: we are not thinking about withdrawing from NATO. We are strengthening our role, not weakening it.”

Secretary-General Mark Rutte echoed Rubio’s remarks, expressing confidence that NATO members would respond to current geopolitical threats with increased cooperation and spending. Rutte underscored the importance of unity and forward planning as key components in maintaining peace and security.

As tensions continue to rise globally and new challenges to international order emerge, the call for expanded defense budgets is likely to be a central topic in ongoing and future NATO discussions. Rubio’s comments represent a firm U.S. stance on meeting these challenges with robust military preparedness and strong alliance coordination.