• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to skip key meeting, with deputy attending in his place

• Ministers to review hybrid attacks, air defense support and preparations for 2026 Ankara Summit

BRUSSELS

NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Wednesday for talks dominated by the future of Ukraine and unease among allies over a US-backed peace plan – as Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s absence casts an unusual shadow over the gathering.

The meeting, one of only two formal ministerials on NATO’s annual calendar, was expected to showcase unity as allies review progress since the Hague Summit and begin preparing for the 2026 summit in Ankara.

Instead, Rubio’s decision to skip the talks – a rarity for a US secretary of state – has fueled questions about Washington’s position under US President Donald Trump.

With Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau attending in Rubio’s place, analysts say the US absence will be impossible to ignore at a moment when the alliance is trying to coordinate military support and a political path forward for Kyiv.

The meeting comes as the US pushes allies to narrow differences on a peace proposal drafted with input from Washington and Moscow – a document that has triggered widespread criticism in Europe for appearing overly aligned with Russian demands.

Europe skeptical about peace plan

Much of Wednesday’s closed-door debate is expected to center on the peace plan, which European and Ukrainian officials have spent the past two weeks rewriting.

European leaders insist that only Ukraine can decide on its own territories, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says security guarantees and preserving sovereignty are top priorities.

The initial draft included language suggesting limitations on NATO expansion, caps on the size of the Ukrainian military and the de-facto recognition of Russian control over large swathes of Ukrainian territory – provisions that prompted sharp pushback from European capitals.

Meanwhile, a leaked EU-drafted peace deal calls for Ukraine to keep its forces and leaves the door to Kyiv joining NATO open.

‘More aggressive’ posture on hybrid threats

The ministers will also discuss what NATO officials say is a surge in suspected Russian hybrid operations across Europe.

On Monday, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chair of the NATO Military Committee, told the Financial Times the alliance is weighing a shift from a “reactive” to “more aggressive or proactive” posture in cyberspace and other hybrid domains – potentially including pre-emptive measures.

Russia quickly condemned the comments, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova calling them “an extremely irresponsible step, indicating the alliance’s readiness to continue moving toward escalation.”

Recent months have seen drones allegedly linked to Russia violate airspace in Poland and Romania, unexplained drone disruptions at airports and military sites in Western Europe, and the sabotage of a key rail line between Warsaw and Kyiv in November. Poland has since deployed 10,000 troops to guard critical infrastructure.

The ministers are also expected to review Operation Eastern Sentry – a plan to bolster defenses on the alliance’s eastern flank, which was activated after Poland claimed Russian drones violated its airspace in September.

Ukraine presses for more air defense support

Another key focus will be sustaining military support for Ukraine, including coordination through the NATO-Ukraine Council with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels on Monday, urging additional air defense systems as Russian missile and drone barrages continue.

He emphasized that the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) – the US-NATO mechanism allowing European and Canadian allies to fund purchases of American-made weapons for Ukraine – remains “critically important” to ensure a stable supply of ammunition and equipment.