US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Turkey next week to attend an informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Antalya, according to a press release from the US Department of State.
The informal meeting is scheduled from 14 to 16 May and will focus on security priorities for the alliance, including increased defence investments from allies and an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war, the press release states.
Secretary Rubio will discuss the priorities of his president, Donald Trump, ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague in June. Trump aims to ensure “that our allies contribute their fair share to make NATO stronger and more effective.”
Before heading to Antalya, Rubio will accompany President Trump from 11 to 14 May in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where Trump intends to strengthen ties with Gulf countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin desires direct peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine beginning on 15 May in Istanbul.
