Rubio skips NATO meeting, European leaders fear marginalisation

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is likely to skip the upcoming NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, a move seen as highly unusual at a time of rising tensions over President Trump's peace plan for Ukraine.

The US will be represented by Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau, who has publicly questioned the importance of NATO in the past.

Rubio's absence may further undermine confidence in the US commitment to European security, especially as European and Ukrainian officials fear being squeezed out of the decision-making process.

Diplomats say the leaked proposal to end the war plays too much into Moscow's hands. The situation is further complicated by Friday's resignation of Ukrainian President Andriy Yermak's chief of staff following a police raid.

Although NATO claims that the occasional absence of ministers is not unusual, it is a politically sensitive moment in the US case.

(reuters, mja)