Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered an 18-minute address at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2026. The speech emphasized historical and cultural bonds between the United States and Europe, describing both as part of a shared "Western civilization" with common Christian heritage. Rubio stated "we will always be a child of Europe" and said the U.S. does not seek to end the transatlantic alliance.
However, Rubio also pressed European allies on policy changes the Trump administration considers necessary: tighter immigration controls, increased defense spending, reduced dependence on international institutions like the UN, and what he described as greater "national sovereignty." He criticized what he called Europe's "managed decline" and stated the U.S. has "no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers" of that decline.
The speech drew a standing ovation from conference attendees. Conference chair Wolfgang Ischinger noted "a sigh of relief" in the hall. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it "very reassuring" while noting "some in the administration have a harsher tone." The address was widely seen as more diplomatic than Vice President JD Vance's combative 2025 Munich speech, which had rattled European capitals. After the speech, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas pushed back against what she called "European-bashing," defending European values and rejecting characterizations of Europe facing "civilizational erasure."