Helsingborg, May 23, 2026 – The Europe Today: U.S. Senator Marco Rubio has praised Sweden as an “exemplary ally” within NATO, highlighting the country’s military strength and technological cooperation with the United States during a press conference following NATO foreign ministers’ talks in Helsingborg.
Rubio emphasized the longstanding cooperation between Washington and Stockholm, particularly in technological development, and described Swedish telecom giant Ericsson as an important competitor to China’s Huawei in the global 5G market.
“Sweden is a fantastic country and I would have liked to stay longer, but the sun rises way too early. What’s wrong with you?” Rubio joked during the press conference.
The American senator also praised the military capabilities of Sweden and Finland, stating that the two Nordic nations joined NATO from a position of strength.
“Some countries have joined NATO from a weak position, but not the last two members. You contribute a lot to the alliance both militarily and in terms of production,” Rubio said.
At the same time, Rubio reiterated the U.S. administration’s intention to gradually reduce its troop presence in Europe as Washington shifts focus toward other regions.
“We have said all along that we will reduce our presence because we need to focus on other regions,” he stated, adding that the alliance must remain beneficial for the United States as well as Europe.
Rubio also conveyed President Donald Trump’s concerns regarding what Washington sees as insufficient European support for the United States in the conflict involving Iran.
Meanwhile, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte described the Helsingborg meeting as highly productive, stressing the need for NATO members to strengthen defense capabilities and accelerate weapons production on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We need to speed up and increase production, on both sides of the Atlantic,” Rutte said.
He also reaffirmed that all NATO member states remain committed to the alliance and to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, which guarantees collective defense in the event of an armed attack on any member state.
“The alliance is in better shape and stronger than a few years ago,” Rutte added.
The Helsingborg meeting forms part of preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara scheduled for July 7–8, where heads of state and government are expected to gather.
Rutte confirmed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also been invited to attend the summit.
