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Rubio reassures trans-Atlantic ties with Europe at Munich Security Conference

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+ Special Series World, reordering Mapping the forces behind a changing global landscape Rubio sends a softer message to Europe: 'We belong together' Updated February 14, 202610:34 PM ET Originally published February 14, 20264:59 AM ET
By
− The Associated
+ Alana
− Press
+ Wise
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio waves, next to Chairman of the Munich Security Conference Wolfgang Ischinger, as he gets a standing ovation after his speech at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Saturday. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption
− MUNICH —
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
− delivered a calm and reassuring message to America's allies
on
− Saturday, striking a far less
− aggressive
+ Saturday
− but
+ called
− still
+ to
− firm
+ revitalize
− tone
+ alliances
− about
+ between
the
− Trump administration's intent to
− reshape
+ United
− the
+ States
− trans-Atlantic
+ and
− alliance
+ its
− after
+ European
− more
+ allies,
− than
+ at
a
− year
+ time
− of
+ when
President
− Donald
Trump's
− often-hostile rhetoric toward traditional allies. World,
− reordering
+ aggressive,
− At
+ America
− Davos,
+ First
− U.S.
+ policies
− allies
+ have
− question
+ inflamed
− a
+ tensions
− fraying
+ with
− world
+ some
− order
+ longtime
− Reminding
+ partners. In
his
− audience
+ speech
at the
− annual
Munich Security
− Conference about America's centuries-long roots in
− Europe,
+ Conference,
Rubio
− said
+ stressed
− the
+ to
− United
+ allies
− States
+ its
− would
+ shared
− remain
+ history
− forever
+ with
− tied
+ America,
− to
+ calling
the
− continent
+ U.S.
− even
+ a
− as
+ "child
− it
+ of
− pushes
+ Europe."
− for
+ He
− changes
+ also
− in
+ reinforced
the
− relationship
− and
+ Trump
− the
+ administration's
− international
+ rhetoric
− institutions
+ suggesting
that
− have
+ Europe
− been
+ faces
the
− bulwark
+ prospect
of
− the
+ "civilizational
− post-World
+ erasure"
− War
+ amid
− II
+ its
− world
+ immigration
− order.
+ policies.
− Rubio
+ "We
− addressed
+ gather
− the
+ as
− conference
+ members
− a
+ of
− year
+ a
− after
+ historic
− Vice
+ alliance
− President
+ that
− JD
+ saved
− Vance
+ and
− stunned
+ changed
the
− same
− audience
+ world,"
− with
+ Rubio
− a
+ told
− harsh
+ attendees. "America
− critique
+ was
− of
+ founded
− European
+ 250
− values.
+ years
− A
+ ago,
− series
+ but
− of
+ the
− statements
+ roots
− and
+ began
− moves
+ here
− from
+ on
− the
+ this
− Trump
+ continent
− administration
+ long
− targeting
+ before.
− allies
+ The
− followed,
+ men
− including
+ who
− Trump's
+ settled
− short-lived
+ and
− threat
+ built
− last
+ the
− month
+ nation
− to
+ of
− impose
+ my
− new
+ birth
− tariffs
+ arrived
on
− several
+ our
− European
+ shores
− countries
+ carrying
− in
+ the
− a
+ memories
− bid
+ and
− to
+ the
− secure
+ traditions
− U.S.
+ and
− control
+ the
− of
+ Christian
− Greenland,
+ faith
− a
+ of
− semiautonomous
+ their
− territory
+ ancestors
− of
+ as
− NATO
+ a
− ally
+ sacred
− Denmark.
+ inheritance."
− On
+ Rubio
− Friday,
+ described
− German
+ Europe
− Chancellor
+ as
− Friedrich
+ having
− Merz
+ grown
− opened
+ complacent
− this
+ in
− year's
+ the
− gathering
+ years
− by
+ since
− calling
+ the
− for
+ fall of
the
− United
+ Soviet
− States
+ Union,
− and
+ having
− Europe
+ allowed
− to
+ their
− "repair
+ military
− and
+ budgets
− revive
+ to
− trans-Atlantic
+ shrink,
− trust
+ their
− together,"
+ jobs
− saying
+ to
− that
+ be
− even
+ outsourced
− the
+ and
− U.S.
+ immigration
− isn't
+ to
− powerful
+ threaten
− enough
+ the
− to
+ "cohesion"
− go
+ of
− it
+ society,
− alone
+ he
− in
+ said. "We
− an
+ made
− world
+ these
− whose
+ mistakes
− old
+ together.
− order
+ And
− no
+ now,
− longer
+ together,
− exists.
+ we
− He
+ owe
− made
+ it
− clear
+ to
− that
+ our
− Europe
+ people
− will
+ to
− stand
+ face
− by
+ those
− its
+ facts
− approach
+ and
to
− free
+ move
− speech
+ forward
− and
+ to
− climate
+ rebuild,"
− change,
+ Rubio
− and
+ said. Overall,
− rejects
+ his
− a
+ speech
− "culture
+ was
− war"
+ marked
− and
+ by
− protectionism. Rubio
+ a
− argued
+ softer
− that
+ tone
− the
+ toward
− "euphoria"
+ Europe
− of
+ than
− the
+ Trump
− Western
+ has
− victory
+ taken
in
− the
+ recent
− Cold
+ months,
− War
+ with
− led
+ Trump
− to
+ criticizing
− a
+ them
− "dangerous
+ as
− delusion
+ "weak"
− that
+ and
− we
+ home
− had
+ to
− entered
+ a
− 'the
+ "decaying"
− end
+ group
of
− history,'
+ nations,
− that
+ as
− every
+ well
− nation
+ as
− would
+ those
− now
+ made
− be
+ by
− a
+ his
− liberal
+ predecessor
− democracy,
+ at
− that
+ last
− the
+ year's
− ties
+ conference.
− formed
+ Vice
− by
+ President
− trade
+ JD
− and
+ Vance,
− by
+ who
− commerce
+ pilloried
− alone
+ European
− would
+ leaders
− now
+ for
− replace
+ their
− nationhood
+ efforts
− ...
+ to combat hate speech
and
− that
+ disinformation
− we
+ and
− would
+ for
− now
+ censoring
− live
+ right-wing
− in
+ views. Consider
− a
+ This
− world
+ from
− without
+ NPR
− borders
+ Trump
− where
+ is
− everyone
+ escalating
− became
+ European
− a
+ tensions.
− citizen
+ What
− of
+ are
the
− world." "We
+ consequences?
− made
+ The
− these
+ secretary
− mistakes
+ of
− together
+ state
− and
+ also
− now
+ downplayed
− together
+ concerns
− we
+ over
− owe
+ the
− it
+ effects
− to
+ of
− our
+ climate
− people
+ change,
− to
+ even
− face
+ as
− those
+ many
− facts
+ European
− and
+ nations
− to
+ have
− move
+ prioritized
− forward
+ a shift
to
− rebuild,"
+ renewable
+ energies.
Rubio
− said. He
− said
+ also
− that,
+ doubled
− under
+ down
− Trump,
+ on
the
− U.S. "will once
− again
+ administration's
− take
+ insistence
− on
+ that
− the
+ European
− task
+ allies
− of
+ should
− renewal
+ do
− and
+ more
− restoration." "This
+ to
− is
+ provide
− why
+ for
− we
+ their
− Americans
+ own
− may
+ national
− sometimes
+ security
− come
+ needs,
− off
+ rather
− as
+ than
− a
+ relying
− little
+ so
− direct
+ heavily
− and
+ on
− urgent
+ the
− in
+ United
− our
+ States. "We
− counsel,"
+ care
− he
+ deeply
− said.
+ about
− "This
+ your
− is
+ future
− why
+ and
− President
+ ours.
− Trump
+ And
− demands
+ if
− seriousness
+ at
− and
+ times
− reciprocity
+ we
− from
+ disagree,
our
− friends
+ disagreements
− here
+ come
− in
+ from
− Europe." "In
+ our
− a
+ profound
− time
+ sense
of
− headlines
+ concern
− heralding
+ about
− the
+ a
− end
+ Europe
− of
+ with
− the
+ which
− trans-Atlantic
+ we
− era,
+ are
− let
+ connected,
− it
+ not
− be
+ just
− known
+ economically,
− and
+ not
− clear
+ just
− to
+ militarily.
− all
+ We
− that
+ are
− this
+ connected
− is
+ spiritually
− neither
+ and
− our
+ we
− goal
+ are
− nor
+ connected
− our
+ culturally." "Under
− wish,"
+ President Trump,"
Rubio
− said.
+ said,
− "Because
+ "the
− for
+ United
− us
+ States
− Americans,
+ of
− our
+ America
− home
+ will
− may
+ once
− be
+ again
− in
+ take on
the
− Western
+ task
− hemisphere,
+ of
− but
+ renewal
− we
+ and
− will
+ restoration,
− always
+ driven
− be
+ by
a
− child
+ vision
of
− Europe." Consider This
− from
+ a
− NPR
+ future
− Trump
+ as
− is
+ proud,
− escalating
+ as
− European
+ sovereign,
− tensions.
+ and
− What
+ as
− are
+ vital
− the
+ as
− consequences?
+ our
− "We
+ civilization's
− have
+ past.
− fought
+ And
− against
+ while
− each
+ we
− other,
+ are
− then
+ prepared,
− reconciled,
+ if
− then
+ necessary,
− fought
+ to
− and
+ do
− reconciled
+ this
− again.
+ alone,
− And
+ it
− we
+ is
− have
+ our
− bled
+ preference,
and
− died
+ it
− side-by-side
+ is
− on
+ our
− battlefields
+ hope
− from
+ to
− Kapyong
+ do
− to
+ this
− Kandahar,"
+ together
− Rubio
+ with
− said.
+ you,
− "And
+ our
− I'm
+ friends
here
− today
+ in
− to
+ Europe.
− make
+ For
− it
+ the
− clear
+ United
− that
+ States
− America
+ and
− is
+ Europe,
− charting
+ we
− the
+ belong
− path
+ together." Ursula
− for
+ von
− a
+ der
− new
+ Leyen,
− century
+ president
of
− prosperity.
+ the
− and
+ European
− that
+ Union's
− once
+ executive
− again,
+ commission,
− we
+ said
− want
+ during
− to
+ a
− do
+ panel
− it
+ at
− together
+ the
− with
+ conference
− you,
+ that
− our
+ she
− cherished
+ was
− allies
+ "very
− and
+ much
− our
+ reassured"
− oldest
+ by
− friends."
+ Rubio's speech.
− Rubio
+ "We
− said
+ know
that
− the
− United
+ in
− Nations
+ the
− "still
+ administration,
− has
+ some
− tremendous
+ have
− potential"
+ a
− but
+ harsher
− that,
+ tone
on
− today's
+ these
− most
+ topics,"
− pressing
+ she
− matters,
+ said.
− "it
+ "But
− has
+ the
− no
+ secretary
− answers
+ of
− and
+ state
− has
+ was
− played
+ very
− virtually
+ clear:
− no
+ He
− role." Speaking
+ said,
− directly
+ 'We
− after
+ want
− Rubio,
+ a
− Chinese
+ strong
− Foreign
+ Europe
− Minister
+ in
− Wang
+ the
− Yi
+ Alliance,'
− offered
+ and
− a
+ this
− contrasting
+ is
− view. "The
+ what
− main
+ we
− reason
+ are working
for
+ intensively in
the
− inadequacy
+ European
− of
+ Union." British
− the
+ Prime
− current
+ Minister
− international
+ Keir
− system
+ Starmer
− is
+ said
− not
+ that
− the
+ he
− United
+ agreed
− Nations
+ with
− itself,
+ Rubio
− but
+ in
the
− fact
+ sense
that
− some
+ "we
− countries
+ shouldn't
− magnify
+ get
− differences,
+ in
− pursue
+ the
− national
+ warm
− priorities
+ bath
− ...
+ of
− and
+ complacency." Starmer
− even
+ said
− revive
+ that,
− the
+ post-Brexit,
− Cold
+ the
− War
+ U.K.
− mentality,"
+ should
− he
+ restrengthen
− argued.
+ ties
− "All
+ with
− these
+ Europe
− have
+ to
− undermined
+ help
the
− basis
+ continent
− of
+ become
− trust,
+ more
− worsened
+ self-reliant
− the
+ in
− atmosphere
+ its
− of
+ defense,
− cooperation,
+ so
− and
+ that
− made
+ it
− the
+ can
− operation
+ move
− of
+ "from
− international
+ overdependence
− mechanisms
+ to
− difficult."
+ interdependence."
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