Icelandic FM on Hegseth skipping NATO: “He’s missing a good party”

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth skipped Thursday’s (February 12) NATO defence ministers meeting, though Icelandic Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir downplayed the absence as no cause for alarm and preferable but not a bad signal, The Washington Post wrote.

She told reporters, “Sadly for him, he is missing a good party. Of course, it’s always better that the ministers attend here, but I would not describe it as a bad signal.”

Hegseth’s absence marked the second consecutive high-level NATO meeting missed by the Trump administration, following Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s no-show at the December gathering of foreign ministers. Under Secretary of Defence Elbridge Colby attended in Hegseth’s place.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius took a similarly measured view, noting that ministers often have full agendas and that Hegseth’s absence was not a personal slight.

The shift underscores growing European responsibility for NATO’s conventional defence. Germany, responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago, has pledged 100 billion euros ($118 billion) to modernise its armed forces. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte emphasised that Europe and Canada must take more care of the defence of NATO territory, of course, in conjunction with the United States.

While the U.S. continues to guarantee NATO’s nuclear deterrent, its conventional support has slowed. Arms shipments and funding for Ukraine initiated under the Biden administration have largely ceased, pushing European allies to finance and purchase weapons themselves.

Thursday’s meeting also focused on boosting support for Ukraine. U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey announced £500 million ($682 million) in urgent air-defence aid. Sweden and the Netherlands pledged additional military support, including American weapons and F-16 flight simulators for Ukrainian pilots.

NATO also unveiled Arctic Sentry, a framework consolidating existing northern drills under alliance oversight to counter Russian and Chinese influence. Denmark, France, Germany, and potentially Finland, Sweden, and Belgium are participating, while the U.S. role remains unclear.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stressed the need for stronger allied contributions: “We need capable allies that are ready and strong, that can bring assets to all of these areas of our collective security.”

European leaders welcomed Arctic Sentry as a way to refocus NATO on core priorities like Russia’s war in Ukraine, after Trump’s threats to annex Greenland shook the alliance. Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said the arrangement helps “stop having some food fights over the Atlantic,” moving past an unnecessary crisis.

By Aghakazim Guliyev