Rubio in a hot chair when he faced European leaders at NATO headquarters

State Secretary Marco Rubio visited the NATO headquarters in Brussels for the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Alliance, placed it at the front lines of the Trump government’s push on traditional American allies in Europe.

European leaders are prepared for a controversial meeting. President Donald Trump’s decision to attract assistance from Ukraine in the midst of his efforts to fight the Russian invasion marks a dramatic rest with other allies, while his decision to involve Moscow in direct negotiations, one by one has made the continental diplomats return to their heels.

But on Wednesday, shortly before Rubio was determined to leave for Belgium, Trump launched a new “reciprocal” tariff that was sweeping – including a 20% tax on imports from the European Union.

So far, Rubio has refused to overcome the tariff problem directly, but his colleague in Canada said that the surprise of the global economy made it difficult to focus on the agenda to urge the meeting.

“Obviously we convey the message to our American colleagues that it is difficult to have this [NATO] Conversation in the context of a trade war, “Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said in an interview with CNN.

Rubio has also tried to circle the topic of another quarrel: Trump’s desire expressed to “get” Greenland for the United States in whatever way is needed.

Rubio met with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in the midst of the NATO Minister but did not respond to the reporter’s questions asking what he would say about Greenland during the session. The Department of Foreign Affairs also did not mention Danish autonomous territory in reading its involvement.

“Secretary Rubio reiterated a strong relationship between the United States and the Danish kingdom,” said spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs Tammy Bruce. “They discussed joint priorities including increasing NATO defense expenses and sharing burdens and overcoming threats to alliances, including those proposed by Russia and China.”

Rasmussen later said that his meeting with Rubio “good” but that while Greenland was not on the agenda “for various reasons,” he still took the opportunity “to be very confronted with the claims and statements of the President from the vision of gaining Greenland.”

This has reached a situation where it is not within the limits of international law, “he said, calling it an attack on Danish sovereignty. “

“We have seen this statement from the President, and we cannot accept it,” Rasmussen added. “And I made it very, very clear.”

The Rubio and Rasmussen meeting came only a few days after JD Vice Vice President visited Greenland with his wife, Usha Vance, and national security advisor Mike Waltz.

The second woman was originally scheduled to be the headlines of the trip and spend a few days on the largest island in the world, taking at the Greenland cultural location, but the visit triggered a reaction from the temporary government of Greenland and Danish leaders who recorded invitations were never extended.

After that, the White House added the vice president to the mobile delegation and won a travel plan, shortening the trip into a one -day stop at a remote American military base in Northwest Greenland.

Rubio has taken a more measurable approach in his comments about Greenland than the president, but he still emphasizes what he said is the issue of US national security that is urgent about the control of the island.

“This is not a joke,” Rubio said in January. “This is not about obtaining land for the purpose of obtaining land. This is our national interest, and needs to be resolved.”

At NATO headquarters on Thursday, Rubio tried to convince the allies that regardless of the presidential mixed signal, Trump’s administration still views the alliance as a US security center.

“President Trump explained that he supported NATO. We will remain in NATO,” he said.

However, Rubio encouraged administrative messages that allies need to increase their defense expenditure – call for all alliance members to commit to placing up to 5% of their annual GDP there, the sharp uptick from the previous 2% benchmark.

“We really want to leave here with an understanding that we are on the track, realistic path,” he said. “That includes the United States which must increase the percentage.”