MUNICH: The main stage of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) on the second day awaited Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, for a session titled “The U.S. in the World.” The world waited to hear from him—and perhaps for more surprises. But Rubio is not J.D. Vance, who made waves in last year’s speech, leaving attendees shocked, reiterating that the world is run by strongmen.
In his nearly half-hour address, Secretary Rubio delivered a unifying message to transatlantic allies. “In a time of headlines heralding the end of the transatlantic era, let it be known and clear to all that this is neither our goal nor our wish, because for us Americans, our home may be in the western hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe,” he said. Yet the speech felt largely like a feel-good reassurance. The shifting expectations of the current U.S. administration toward Europe seemed to linger unaddressed; Rubio did not mention Russia, a persistent pain point for the EU, despite ongoing discussions about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, even with a dedicated Ukraine House at this year’s MSC.
A day earlier, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has attended the MSC for over three decades, remarked that the Conference “has always been a seismograph for the political state of the entire world.” In the early years of his attendance, he said, he came “mainly to foster relations with our American friends.” But amid the increasingly rocky trajectory between the EU and the U.S., the tremors on the Richter scale now appear stronger. While decision-makers and policymakers may have expected more from Secretary Rubio on NATO, another contentious issue in recent months, he chose not to name it. Was his address, then, simply a diplomatic box ticked?
At another MSC event, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, commenting on Rubio’s remarks, observed: “What we’re hearing today, we heard already in the past, and we heard this from Democratic administrations, Republican administrations. Build a strong and independent Europe.”
Perhaps Secretary Rubio’s address was not one for the history books. Perhaps it will pass as a feel-good speech, ushering in another dawn, but with more question marks still hanging in the air.
