U.S. Secretary of State Rubio Holds First Call with EU Diplomat After Skipped Meeting

Marco Rubio's absence from a key EU foreign ministers’ meeting raises concerns about Trump's administration prioritizing bilateral ties over EU unity.

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on Tuesday, discussing shared priorities like Ukraine, Iran, and China.
• Rubio's absence from an EU foreign ministers’ meeting sparked concerns about the Trump administration sidelining the EU in favor of bilateral relations with individual member states.
• Kallas emphasized the need for transatlantic unity and expressed hopes for an in-person meeting with Rubio soon, though no date has been set.
• The Trump administration's approach, including demands for increased NATO defense spending and Greenland-related tensions, has raised alarms in Brussels about potential efforts to weaken EU cohesion.
• EU officials remain divided, with some expressing optimism about U.S.-EU relations under Trump while others caution against a divide-and-conquer strategy.

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