**US Secretary of State to Visit Brussels**
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Brussels from April 2-4. He will meet with NATO officials and discuss ways to bring peace to Ukraine.
Rubio’s trip comes at a time when the US is re-evaluating its relationship with NATO. President Trump has questioned the alliance‘s collective defense principle and threatened to annex Greenland from Denmark, a fellow NATO member.
The US has also changed its approach on Ukraine. The country will not provide new military aid until Ukraine makes concessions. This has put pressure on European countries to take more responsibility for their own security.
**NATO Meeting**
Rubio will attend the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Brussels. He will discuss security priorities, including increasing Allied defense investment and securing lasting peace in Ukraine.
The US also wants European countries to increase their defense spending targets to 5% of GDP. This includes urging them to provide more support for Ukraine.
**Other Meetings**
Rubio will meet with representatives from the Indo-Pacific Partners to discuss the shared threat of China to the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Alliances.
He will also discuss plans for The Hague Summit this summer.
**Conflict in Ukraine**
Ukrainian air defenses shot down two Russian guided aerial missiles on March 25. Russian forces did not carry out a mass drone strike against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure overnight, marking the first such instance in 2025.
The US National Security Advisor has been hosting sensitive conversations with cabinet members about peace between Russia and Ukraine.
**Armenia Refuses to Pay Contributions**
Armenia has refused to pay its contributions to the budget of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) for the past year. The country suspended its participation in the military alliance in August 2024.
**Tariffs on Russian Oil**
President Trump threatened to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil exports if President Putin does not agree to end the war in Ukraine.
**Peacekeeping Troops**
Military representatives from a coalition of willing countries will meet in Ukraine later this week to discuss peacekeeping troops and security guarantees.