‘US and Europe belong together, but allies should defend themselves,’ says Rubio at Munich Security Conference

In sharp contrast to the harsh criticism of Europe by US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference last year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday praised the historical significance of the US-European alliance that “saved the world” from past threats while emphasising the importance of the decades-long partnership. “We belong together,” Rubio said about the United States and Europe, adding, “We do not seek to separate, but to revitalise an old friendship.”

The Trump administration maintains that Europe must take responsibility for defending itself against regional threats rather than relying so heavily on American assistance. Rubio reiterated the stance, saying, “We do not want our allies to be weak, because that makes us weaker. We want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength. This is why we do not want our allies to be shackled by guilt and shame.”

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“We want allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilization, and who, together with us, are willing and able to defend it, and this is why we do not want allies to rationalise the broken status quo rather than reckon with what is necessary to fix it.”

‘End of transatlantic era not our goal nor our wish’

Rubio clarified that even as headlines herald the end of the transatlantic era, it is neither a goal nor a wish for the US and added that “we Americans will always be a child of Europe”.

Referring to NATO troops, Rubio said, “We have bled and died side by side,” and added that the US is charting the path for a new century of prosperity, but wants to do it with Europe.

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‘Mass migration poses a risk to Europe’

Rubio called out the risk mass migration poses to Europe and said, “In a pursuit of a world without borders, we opened our doors to an unprecedented wave of mass migration that threatens the cohesion of our societies, the continuity of our culture and the future of our people.”

“Mass migration is not, was not, some fringe concern of little consequence,” he said, warning that it is “transforming and destabilising societies all across the west.”

“This is not an expression of xenophobia. It is not hate. It is a fundamental act of national sovereignty, and the failure to do so is not just an abdication of one of our most basic duties owed to our people. It is an urgent threat to the fabric of our societies and the survival of our civilization itself.”

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‘US not sure if Russia is serious about ending Ukraine war’

The Secreatary of State said Washington would keep striving to seek a peace deal in Ukraine, but was unsure ⁠if Moscow really wanted to end the fighting.

“We don’t know if the Russians are serious about ending the war. They say they are,” Rubio said while answering a question following his remarks.

“What we can’t answer, but we are going to continue to test, is an outcome Ukraine can live with and Russia can accept. That’s been elusive to this point.”

US and Western intelligence agencies have consistently questioned whether Russian President Vladimir Putin has any interest in stopping the conflict, as he maintains his maximalist goals while engaging the US and Ukraine in negotiations.

Trump has consistently insisted that both Moscow and Kyiv must make concessions to reach a deal to end the fighting and that a compromise must be reached soon.

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‘We do not live in a perfect world; UN, other bodies need urgent reforms’

Rubio also stressed the urgent need to rebuild and reform international organizations to meet the new challenges.

He said the UN has tremendous potential but could not solve the war in Gaza or Ukraine and has proved to be powerless time and time again.

“In a perfect world, all of these problems and more would be solved by diplomats and strongly worded resolutions. But we do not live in a perfect world, and we cannot continue to allow those who blatantly and openly threaten our citizens and endanger our global stability to shield themselves behind abstractions of international law which they themselves routinely violate,” he added.

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“We embraced a dogmatic vision of free and unfettered trade, while deindustrialising, shipping millions of jobs overseas, and handing control to adversaries and rivals.”

“Many nations invested in massive welfare states at the cost of maintaining the ability to defend themselves,” he said.