Brussels, 4 April 2025 (MIA) – The United States is absolutely right that we, as European NATO allies, must take on greater responsibility for peace and stability, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Timcho Mucunski said Friday upon his arrival for the second day of the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels.

"While five percent may not be attainable overnight, we must continue investing in our defence sectors, we must continue strengthening military capacities, and that is the right direction for all of us to take," Mucunski said in regard to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement that NATO countries should increase defence spending to five percent of GDP.

Mucunski said that this not about bilateral relations with the US, but about investing in security, because without security there can be no stability. Without proper security and investment in it, societies we have created, not just in Europe but also in the Indo-Pacific region and other parts of the world, would not endure.

"This will not be easy and will be a challenging process, but it is something we must all focus on," Mucunski said.

In regard to Ukraine, Mucunski said that he firmly believes the current US administration has the right approach, focused on achieving peace with the participation of Kyiv and all NATO allies in the process.

"I believe the US government is committed to peace, but as a representative of one of the smaller countries at the table, and a state that is among the largest per capita donors of aid to Ukraine, I can say that support for Ukraine in various forms has always been linked to our defence, Ukraine’s defence and also to achieving peace," Mucunski noted.

He said that at the NATO 76th anniversary celebration, after yesterday’s meeting, we can confirm that the Alliance is stronger than ever before, which is largely due to the commitment of US President Donald Trump’s administration to peace in Ukraine and the determination of our Ukrainian partners to advocate for a peaceful resolution, as well as current efforts of France, the UK and other allies.

"One positive aspect from yesterday was the engagement of our new American colleagues and the opportunity to discuss the challenges we face with them, to support the US administration in its current efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine, and also to engage with our Indo-Pacific partners. Russia is the obvious threat we all talk about, but the link between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran also poses an extreme threat to our security," Mucunski said.

He also pointed out that the presence of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, during both days of the meeting is of great importance, as he highlighted that the NATO-EU relationship is crucial for peace and stability on our continent and around the world.

Photo: MIA