Rubio’s speech to European allies takes softer tone but keeps firm stance
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a reassuring message to U.S. allies on Saturday, striking a less aggressive but still firm tone about the administration’s intent to reshape the transatlantic alliance and advance its priorities after more than a year of often hostile rhetoric from President Donald Trump toward his traditional allies.
Reminding his audience at the annual Munich Security Conference of America’s centuries-old roots in Europe, Secretary Rubio said the United States would forever remain tied to the continent even as it pushed for changes in the relationships and institutions that have been the bulwark of the post-World War II global order.
Mr. Rubio addressed the conference a year after Vice President JD Vance stunned the same audience with a harsh critique of European values. A series of Trump administration statements and moves targeting its allies followed, including President Trump’s short-lived threat last month to impose new tariffs on several European countries in an effort to secure U.S. control of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.
On Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz opened this year’s meeting by calling on the United States and Europe to “repair and revive transatlantic trust together,” saying that even the United States is not powerful enough to go it alone in a world whose old order no longer exists. But he and other European officials have made clear they will remain true to their values, including their approach to free speech, climate change and free trade.
“A child of Europe”
While adopting a calmer and more reassuring tone, Mr. Rubio made it clear that the Trump administration is sticking to its policy positions. He denounced “a climate cult” and “an unprecedented massive wave of migration which threatens the cohesion of our societies”.
Secretary Rubio argued that the “euphoria” of Western victory in the Cold War led to a “dangerous illusion that we had entered ‘the end of history,’ that every nation would now be a liberal democracy, that the bonds formed by trade and commerce would now replace national identity…and that we would now live in a borderless world where everyone would become a citizen of the world.”
“We made these mistakes together, and now, together, we owe it to our people to face these facts and move forward toward rebuilding,” Mr. Rubio said.
“That’s why we Americans can sometimes seem a little blunt and urgent in our advice,” he said. “This is why President Trump demands seriousness and reciprocity from our friends here in Europe. »
Secretary Rubio said the end of the transatlantic era “is neither our goal nor our desire,” adding that “our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe.”
He acknowledged that “we bled and died side by side on the battlefields of Kapyong in Kandahar,” a contrast to Trump’s disparaging remarks about NATO allies’ troops in Afghanistan that sparked outcry. “And I am here today to make it clear that America is charting a course for a new century of prosperity, and once again, we want to do it with you, our cherished allies and oldest friends.”
U.S. officials accompanying Mr. Rubio said his message was much the same as Mr. Vance’s last year, but aimed to reach more gently with the public, who they acknowledged had recoiled from much of President Trump’s rhetoric over the past year.
Europeans are reassured but not complacent
The president of the European Union’s Executive Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called Mr. Rubio’s speech “very reassuring” but noted that “in the administration, some have a tougher tone on these subjects.”
In her speech at the conference, she stressed that “Europe must become more independent”, including in matters of defence. She stressed Europe’s “digital sovereignty” – its approach to hate speech on social media.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “we should not fall into the hot bath of complacency”. He said the UK needed to renew closer ties with Europe to help the continent “stand on its own two feet” in its own defense and said investment was needed that “move us from over-dependence to interdependence”.
Hanno Pevkur, defense minister of Estonia, a member of the EU and NATO, said it was “a pretty bold statement to say that America is ‘a child of Europe’.”
“It was a good speech, necessary here today, but that doesn’t mean we can rest on pillows now,” he told the Associated Press. “So there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Secretary Rubio did not mention Greenland. After last month’s escalation over Mr. Trump’s plans on the Arctic island, the United States, Denmark and Greenland began technical negotiations on an Arctic security agreement.
The Secretary of State met briefly in Munich on Friday with Danish and Greenlandic leaders, a meeting that Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described as constructive.
But Ms Frederiksen suggested on Saturday that even though the conflict had calmed, she remained cautious. When asked if the crisis had passed, she replied: “No, unfortunately not. I think the American president’s desire is exactly the same. He is very serious on this issue.”
Asked if she could put a price tag on Greenland, she said “of course not,” adding that “we have to respect sovereign states…and we have to respect people’s right to self-determination. And the Greenlandic people have been very clear: They don’t want to become American.”
Associated Press journalist Geir Moulson contributed from Berlin and writer Jamey Keaten from Geneva.
