For all his breathless talk of "closing airspace," the West still tiptoes around Russian air probes targeting NATO while Trump talks tough in America’s backyard—against a pariah state that, unlike Moscow, can’t shoot back. Reactions to Trump’s stance on Venezuela have been swift.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to miss Wednesday's meeting, which will unfold during high-stakes negotiations in Moscow and in Europe about Ukraine’s future.

Trump’s hardball tactics have extorted greater allied cooperation and reasserted U.S. domination over the organization.

After being blindsided by President Donald Trump’s 28-point plan last month, some Europeans have expressed extreme disquiet at being apparently sidelined in talks.

Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, told the Berlin Security Conference earlier this month that he hoped a German would become Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), overseeing the alliance’s military activities in Europe, a role that has been held by an American since NATO’s inception.

Ukraine war also includes a proposal that names NATO’s Article 5 — but doesn’t carry the same security guarantee of the treaty, experts

President Donald Trump said he would formally designate Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally in a further strengthening of ties between the two countries, capping a day of dealmaking between the US leader and the kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

President Trump said Tuesday he will designate Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, marking a step up in defense ties between the U.S. and the Gulf monarchy.