Brussels — Europe’s NATO allies on Thursday dismissed concerns that the United States has withdrawn from its leading role in the world’s largest security organization, leaving it and Canada with the lion’s share of Europe’s defense.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not attend Thursday’s meeting of defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels. This was followed by his non-appearance Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the last meeting of NATO foreign ministers in December.

It is rare for members of the US administration to miss a ministerial-level meeting of the organization’s highest body, the North Atlantic Council, let alone two meetings in a row.

US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby was sent in Hegseth’s place.

Hegseth “misses a good game,” but the Europeans downplay the absence

“Unfortunately for him, he’s missing out on a good party,” Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir told reporters. “Of course, it’s always better if the ministers are here, but I wouldn’t describe it as a bad signal.”

“I am not disappointed,” said German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. “Each of us has a full agenda. Sometimes the US defense secretary is here and sometimes he’s not, so it’s his decision and his duties that he has to fulfill.”

When asked what the purpose of NATO was in its infancy in 1949, NATO’s first secretary general, British general and diplomat Lord Hastings Ismay, reportedly replied, “To keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down.”

Now Germany is stepping up. After Russia invaded Ukraine four years ago it promised to spend 118 billion dollars to modernize its armed forces in the coming years.

A big part of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s job is to keep the Americans in.

“They have to take care of the whole world. This is the United States,” Rutte told reporters before chairing the meeting. “I fully accept that, I agree with that.”

They have always consistently advocated for Europe to do more, for Canada to do more, to take more care in the defense of NATO territory, of course in cooperation with the United States, he said.

This means more European spending on conventional weapons and defense, while the US guarantees NATO’s nuclear deterrent.

But doubts remain and surprises from the Trump administration cannot be ruled out. Allies still wonder if more American troops will be withdrawn from Europe.

The US role in NATO is shrinking under Trump

“What is most important for me is the no-surprise policy that was agreed between the NATO Secretary General and the US,” said Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans.

At least publicly, the Trump administration did does much less in NATO. A year ago, Hegseth warned that America’s security priorities were elsewhere and that Europe would have to look out for itself and Ukraine in its fight against a full-scale Russian invasion.

Stockpiles of US weapons and money sent to Ukraine by the previous administration of former President Joe Biden have dried up under Mr Trump. European allies and Canada are obliged to buy weapons from the United States, which they will now donate.

Western backers of Ukraine also met at NATO on Thursday to seek additional military support. The plan proudly championed by the Pentagon under Biden, the Contact Group for the Defense of Ukraine is now chaired by the UK and Germany.

British Defense Secretary John Healey announced that Britain would provide “an additional half a billion pounds ($682 million) for emergency air defense to Ukraine. It is Britain that is a force for good in the world, building a new deal for European security within NATO.”

Sweden also intends to finance the purchase of more American weapons. The Netherlands will send more flight simulators to help Ukrainian fighter pilots train to fly F-16 jets.

Which nations will run NATO’s Arctic Sentry mission?

The only “deliverable” from Thursday’s meeting was the official announcement that NATO would launch Arctic Sentryhis response to US security concerns in the Far North and an attempt to dissuade Trump from attempting to seize Greenland.

It is allegedly aimed at countering Russian and Chinese activities or influence in the Arctic region.

But Arctic Sentry is essentially a rebranding exercise. National exercises are already underway in the region, such as those operated by Denmark and Norway, will be placed under the NATO umbrella and overseen by NATO’s military commander. It is not a long-term NATO operation or mission.

Denmark, France, Germany will participate in the “military activities” taking place under Arctic Sentry, but did not say in what way.

Calling the mission “very good news for us,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Thursday that the country “made two Arctic packages with money for new Arctic ships, maritime patrol aircraft and enhanced satellite capabilities. On top of that, we have an agreement to acquire additional F-35 fighter jets that can be used to handle tasks in the Arctic and the North Atlantic. So we are fulfilling our responsibility — and will only get better under the auspices of NATO’s efforts.”

Finland and Sweden are also likely to get involved, and Belgium is considering what role it might play.

“As a NATO ally, Sweden has a responsibility to contribute to the security of the entire Alliance territory. The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important from a strategic perspective. Our participation in Arctic Sentry shows that we are a loyal and active ally that takes responsibility for our common security,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement on Thursday.

It remains unclear what role, if any, the United States will take.

A spokesman for U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s supreme commander of allied forces in Europe, told CBS News earlier this month that planning for a new mission in the Arctic is underway, calling it “an increased vigilance activity to further strengthen NATO’s posture in the Arctic and the Far North.”

A spokesperson told CBS News that planning “has just begun, but details will follow in due course.”

“It can’t be more than just the United States,” US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said ahead of Thursday’s meeting. “We need capable allies who are ready and strong, who can bring resources to all these areas of our collective security.”

Mr. Trump is renewed threatened to annex Greenland last month — semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark — they deeply shook the rest of the alliance. NATO’s primary role is to defend the territory of its 32 member states, not to undermine it.

European allies and Canada hope Arctic Sentry and ongoing negotiations between the Trump administration, Denmark and Greenland will allow NATO to move away from the dispute and focus on Europe’s real security priority, Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said the Arctic security arrangement at least means “we stop some food fights across the Atlantic”.

“I don’t think the Greenland saga was NATO’s best moment (during) the last 76 years,” he told reporters. – It was a crisis that was not necessary.