Secretary of State Marco Rubio placed a velvet glove on the Trump administration’s still-clenched fist during a high-profile speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, offering some reassurance to European leaders worried that the United States remains committed to its long-standing partnership but will not retreat from fundamental demands for a change of direction on many fronts.
Mr. Rubio’s message that the U.S. government has no intention of abandoning the transatlantic alliance was well received by European allies in the audience. Exactly one year ago, Vice President J.D. Vance stood at the same podium and sat stone-faced as he made a wildly false and derogatory statement about European culture and values.
America’s top diplomat evoked the shared history of Europe and the United States, saying the United States is a “child” of Europe and that the continent’s fates are “intertwined,” drawing double applause.
But Rubio’s message remained stark. The document includes the Trump administration’s warning that unless Europe takes more responsibility for its own security and shares the same values as the United States, it will “do this alone,” a shift that would require reform of the current system of international cooperation.
“We want allies who can protect us from the temptation of any adversary to test our collective strength,” Rubio said.
“Because we Americans are not interested in managing the controlled decline of the West in a civil and orderly manner. We are not seeking separation, but rather the restoration of old friendships,” he added.
President Donald Trump has frequently criticized Europe for being overly dependent on U.S. aid, especially for security, and has called on NATO allies to increase defense spending.
More broadly, Trump has also promised to disrupt the international status quo, and now, a year into his second term, he is doing just that with astonishing speed.
Rubio’s speech comes as U.S. allies grow increasingly concerned and question whether the United States intends to abandon its partnership with Europe after Trump’s threats to retaliate with tariffs, plan to seize Greenland and withdraw international aid.
Vance’s speech at last year’s Munich Security Conference further exacerbated concerns, telling European leaders that the greatest threat to security comes “from within,” not from China or Russia. This statement has shaped the White House’s clear-cut national security strategy.
Vance’s words were also ringing in the ears of European officials who arrived in Munich this week. Many in Munich were focused on the end of the US-led international order, one of the few points of agreement between the US and its NATO allies.
“A rift has opened between Europe and the United States,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday ahead of Rubio’s speech.
“America’s leadership claims are being challenged and perhaps lost,” he said.
Mr. Rubio expressed a similar understanding on Thursday, telling reporters as he departed for Munich that “frankly, the old world is over” and “we live in a new era in geopolitics.”
He delivered a similar message in a speech on Saturday, but in a softer tone.
“We are prepared to do this alone if necessary, but that is our preference, and it is our desire to do this together with you, our friends here in Europe,” Rubio told an audience in Munich.
“For the United States and Europe, we are united,” Rubio added, underscoring the importance of a long-standing partnership that is under intense strain.
Rubio sought to reassure European leaders that the Trump administration is committed to the alliance, although he acknowledged that the United States may at times “provide direct and urgent advice.”
“We are proud of our culture and traditions and seek allies who understand that we are the inheritors of the same great and noble civilization and are willing to defend it with us,” he said.
Vance praised Rubio’s remarks, writing on social media: “This was a great speech. Worth watching in its entirety.”
Rubio’s tone was in stark contrast to the tone Vance used a year ago. But the message to Europe was the same. “Reform or stand up for yourself.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
