U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday attempted to ease tensions with NATO members and the prime minister of the host country, Belgium, amid steep tariffs announced Wednesday.

The following is the full transcript of an interview with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, which will air on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on April 6, 2025.

Worried about Russian aggression, some members on NATO’s eastern flank have ramped up spending well above the 2% mark. Poland already is at 5% of GDP, for example. Italy, Portugal and Spain, on the other hand, are yet to hit even the 2% level.

The United States’ role in the NATO alliance has never been as precarious as it is now. In fact, it was earlier this month when Donald Trump declared that that the U.S. would not defend NATO member nations against an attack if those countries had not met defense spending benchmarks.

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If Washington doesn't restore its credibility as an ally to Europe, it might find itself alone to face its next security crisis.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is assuring fellow North Atlantic Treaty Organization member nations that the United States considers the defense alliance indispensable. Rubio made the comments during his address to the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels,

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was to attend his first meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday and Friday. The discussions among allies focus on the 'rebalancing' of funding and operational responsibilities.