Rubio鈥檚 speech to European allies takes softer tone but keeps firm stance
| Munich
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a reassuring message to America鈥檚 allies on Saturday, striking a less aggressive but still firm tone about the administration鈥檚 intent to reshape the trans-Atlantic alliance and push its priorities after more than a year of President Donald Trump鈥檚 often-hostile rhetoric toward traditional allies.
Reminding his audience at the annual Munich Security Conference about America鈥檚 centuries-long roots in Europe, Secretary Rubio said the United States would remain forever tied to the continent even as it pushes for changes in the relationship and the institutions that have been the bulwark of the post-World War II world 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 allies followed, including President Trump鈥檚 short-lived threat last month to impose new tariffs on several European countries in a bid to secure U.S. control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.
On Friday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had opened this year鈥檚 gathering by calling for the U.S. and Europe to 鈥渞epair and revive trans-Atlantic trust together,鈥� saying that even the U.S. isn鈥檛 powerful enough to go it alone in a world whose old order no longer exists. But he and other European officials made clear that they will stand by their values, including their approach to free speech, climate change, and free trade.
鈥淎 child of Europe鈥�
While offering a calmer and more reassuring tone, Mr. Rubio made clear that the Trump administration is sticking to its guns on policy. He denounced 鈥渁 climate cult鈥� and 鈥渁n unprecedented wave of mass migration that threatens the cohesion of our societies.鈥�
Secretary Rubio argued that the 鈥渆uphoria鈥� of the Western victory in the Cold War led to a 鈥渄angerous delusion that we had entered 鈥榯he end of history,鈥� that every nation would now be a liberal democracy, that the ties formed by trade and by commerce alone would now replace nationhood... and that we would now live in a world without borders where everyone became a citizen of the world.鈥�
鈥淲e made these mistakes together, and now together we owe it to our people to face those facts and to move forward to rebuild,鈥� Mr. Rubio said.
鈥淭his is why we Americans may sometimes come off as a little direct and urgent in our counsel,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is why President Trump demands seriousness and reciprocity from our friends here in Europe.鈥�
Secretary Rubio said that an end of the trans-Atlantic era 鈥渋s neither our goal nor our wish,鈥� adding that 鈥渙ur home may be in the Western hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe.鈥�
He acknowledged that 鈥渨e have bled and died side-by-side on battlefields from Kapyong to Kandahar,鈥� a contrast with disparaging remarks by Trump about NATO allies鈥� troops in Afghanistan that drew an outcry. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 here today to make it clear that America is charting the path for a new century of prosperity, and that once again, we want to do it together with you, our cherished allies and our oldest friends.鈥�
U.S. officials accompanying Mr. Rubio said his message was much the same as Mr. Vance鈥檚 last year but was intended to have a softer landing on the audience, which they acknowledged had recoiled at much of President Trump鈥檚 rhetoric over the past year.
Europeans are reassured but not complacent
The president of the European Union鈥檚 executive commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said Mr. Rubio鈥檚 speech was 鈥渧ery reassuring鈥� but noted that 鈥渋n the administration, some have a harsher tone on these topics.鈥�
In her speech to the conference, she stressed that 鈥淓urope must become more independent,鈥� including on defense. She insisted on Europe鈥檚 鈥渄igital sovereignty鈥� 鈥� its approach to hate speech on social media.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that 鈥渨e shouldn鈥檛 get in the warm bath of complacency.鈥欌�� He said the U.K. must reforge closer ties with Europe to help the continent 鈥渟tand on our own two feet鈥� in its own defense and said there needs to be investment that 鈥渕oves us from overdependence to interdependence.鈥�
Hanno Pevkur, the defense minister of the EU and NATO member Estonia, said it was 鈥渜uite a bold statement to say that America is 鈥榓 child of Europe鈥�.鈥�
鈥淚t was a good speech, needed here today, but that doesn鈥檛 mean that we can rest on pillows now,鈥� he told The Associated Press. 鈥淪o still a lot of work has to be done.鈥�
Secretary Rubio didn鈥檛 mention Greenland. After last month鈥檚 escalation over Mr. Trump鈥檚 designs on the Arctic island, the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland started technical talks on an Arctic security deal.
The secretary of state met briefly in Munich on Friday with the Danish and Greenlandic leaders, a meeting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen described as constructive.
But Ms. Frederiksen suggested Saturday that, although the dispute has cooled, she remains wary. Asked whether the crisis has passed, she replied: 鈥淣o, unfortunately not. I think the desire from the U.S. president is exactly the same. He is very serious about this theme.鈥�
Asked whether she can put a price on Greenland, she said 鈥渙f course not,鈥� adding that 鈥渨e have to respect sovereign states ... and we have to respect people鈥檚 right for self-determination. And the Greenlandic people have been very clear, they don鈥檛 want to become Americans.鈥�
Associated Press reporter Geir Moulson contributed from Berlin, and writer Jamey Keaten contributed from Geneva.
