Rubio: The Ukrainian war has reached a stalemate

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed that NATO must be extremely strong, stressing that the United States will continue to work with its allies to enhance the alliance's capabilities.

Rubio said, during a joint press conference with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Rangel in Lisbon, that Washington is committed to continuing to strengthen NATO's strength, at a time when the US administration is pushing towards increasing allied contributions to defense capabilities.

Rubio added that the United States is working with Portugal to enhance defense cooperation between the two countries, noting that relations between Washington and Lisbon include long-term military and security cooperation.

In a related context, the US Secretary of State confirmed that the Russian-Ukrainian war has reached a dead end, stressing that any settlement must be permanent, sustainable, and fair.

Rubio added that there is no end to the Russian-Ukrainian war except through negotiation, in confirmation of Washington's adherence to the negotiating path to end the war.

On the economic side, Rubio explained that the volume of American investments in Portugal amounts to about $20 billion, an indication of the expansion of economic relations between the two countries, in addition to defense and security cooperation.

The US Secretary of State's statements come during his visit to Lisbon, the last stop on a European tour that included Iceland, Greece and Portugal, which focuses on strengthening relations with the US allies in NATO. The US State Department announced that Rubio would meet during his visit with Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, before holding the joint press conference.

At the same time, Rubio's visit is of particular importance in light of the military cooperation between Washington and Lisbon, especially the Lajes Air Base in the Portuguese Azores, which US forces have used for decades for refueling and transatlantic operations.

The Portuguese government had given the United States conditional approval to use the base to support its military operations, at a time when Washington continues to strengthen its defense cooperation with its European allies. Before arriving in Lisbon, Rubio said that Portugal is a "great ally" of the United States and that the goal of his trip is to strengthen these ties.

Rubio's call to strengthen NATO's strength comes at a time when the alliance is witnessing an increasing focus on raising member states' defense spending. Portugal currently spends more than 2% of its gross domestic product on defense, while the government announced its intention to increase spending to about 3%, including investments in infrastructure for military and civilian uses.

Rubio's statements in Lisbon fall within a broader trend by the US administration to push European allies to shoulder a greater amount of the defense burden, while at the same time Washington affirms its continued commitment to NATO. The Secretary-General of the Alliance indicated last month that European countries and Canada have already increased their defense spending, as part of the implementation of the Alliance's new pledges related to military spending.