Trump's envoy to Munich: "We need a strong Europe"

MunicipalRelief swept through the Munich Security Conference after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that, despite criticism and threats from the Trump administration, Washington wants to remain an ally of Europe. In his highly anticipated speech, Rubio emphasized the close ties between the United States and Europe: "We are destined to be together." "Our destiny is and always will be intertwined with yours, because we know that the fate of Europe will never be irrelevant to our own national security," the US diplomat asserted. "That's why we Americans can sometimes seem a bit blunt and urgent in our advice... The reason, my friends, is that we care deeply," Rubio said. The tone of Marco Rubio's speech contrasts sharply with the controversial remarks made a year ago in Munich by JD Vance, in which he harshly criticized Europe for being overly reliant on US support. Vance's speech, in which he questioned the state of democracy and freedom of expression in Europe and offered veiled support for the far right, sparked outrage among European leaders and highlighted the rift between the United States and Europe following Donald Trump's return to the White House. Rubio, on the other hand, received applause from the audience at the Munich Security Conference for emphasizing the importance of ensuring a strong alliance between the United States and Europe. However, despite the more conciliatory tone, the US Secretary of State insisted on the need for Europeans to take greater responsibility for defending themselves against threats instead of relying so heavily on US aid. The Secretary of State asserted that "the United States wants to see a strong Europe." "We want allies who can defend themselves, so that no adversary is tempted to challenge our collective strength," he insisted. There was also room for criticism in his speech. Rubio has warned about the effects of "mass immigration" and "deindustrialization" in the West, phenomena against which he has encouraged Europeans to act together to strengthen the transatlantic alliance. Regarding the peace talks for Ukraine initiated by US President Donald Trump, Rubio stated that he does not know if Moscow is seriously negotiating to end this conflict, but asserted that Washington must continue to test the negotiating willingness of Russian President Vladimir Putin.