Rubio signals about face of US gvt on Europe

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a message of unity in his speech at the Munich Security Conference.

In his speech, the American minister emphasized the historic importance of the alliance between Europe and America. In fact, he spoke of an alliance that “saved the world” from past threats.

We are members of a historic alliance

“We gather today as members of a historic alliance, an alliance that saved and changed the world,” he emphasized, recalling that when the Conference began, Europe was divided and “the line between communism and freedom ran through the heart of Germany.”

According to him, at that time “Soviet communism was on the rise” and “thousands of years of Western civilization were hanging by a thread.” Victory was not a given, he stressed, but the West was united both against what it was fighting and in favor of the values ​​it was defending.

However, as he noted, “the euphoria of this victory led us to a dangerous delusion: that we had entered the ‘end of history,’ that every nation would become a liberal democracy, that the bonds of trade would replace the nation-state, and that a rules-based global order would trump national interest.”

Criticism of the assignment of national sovereignty to international institutions

The US Secretary of State also criticized the assignment of national sovereignty to international institutions and the strengthening of extensive welfare states “at the expense of defense capacity.”

He made particular reference to environmental policies, which he described as an attempt to “appease a climate cult,” saying that they “have impoverished our people while our competitors exploit oil, coal, and natural gas.”

Regarding mass immigration, he warned that it is “transforming and destabilizing societies across the West,” emphasizing the need to “regain control of national borders.” As he said, this is “not an expression of xenophobia, but a fundamental act of national sovereignty.”

The West is not in inevitable decline

In one of his sharpest rebuttals, Rubio rejected the idea that the West is in inevitable decline.

“Decline is a choice,” he said, drawing a parallel between the current situation and the period after World War II. “We don’t want weak allies. We want allies who can defend themselves,” he stressed.

And he added: “In America, we have no interest in being polite and orderly stewards of the controlled decline of the West.”

The end of the transatlantic era is neither our goal nor our desire
At the same time, he attempted to assuage European concerns about a rupture in transatlantic relations. “The end of the transatlantic era is neither our goal nor our desire,” he declared, emphasizing the historical and cultural ties between the United States and Europe and even referring to his personal experiences.

“We care deeply about the future of Europe and our own”

Marco Rubio, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, conveyed the message that President Donald Trump “demands seriousness and reciprocity from our friends in Europe.”

“The reason, my friends, is because we care deeply. We care deeply about your future and ours,” he stressed.

And he added: “If we disagree at times, our disagreements stem from our deep concern for a Europe to which we are connected — not just economically, not just militarily.”

According to him, the US-Europe ties are both spiritual and cultural. “We are connected spiritually and culturally. We want Europe to be strong. We believe that Europe must survive… our destiny is and will always be intertwined with yours,” he said.

As he emphasized, “the fate of Europe will never be unrelated to our own national security,” recalling that this is also the central axis of the Conference.

“The United States will always be a child of Europe”

Elsewhere in his speech, Rubio said the United States seeks “to revive an old friendship and renew the greatest civilization in human history.”

He stressed the importance of strengthening the transatlantic alliance, noting: “Although our homeland is in the Western Hemisphere… we will always be a child of Europe.”