Rubio to Europe's Maga allies: 'We want partners, not vassals'. Kallas: 'The EU is not in decline'

The Trump administration welcomes the elimination of European 'dependence' on the US: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this during a visit to Bratislava, stating that the US "does not ask Europe to be a vassal". "We want to be your partner. We want to work with Europe. We want to work with our allies," Rubio said in the Slovak capital after attending the Munich Security Conference.

During this 62nd Munich Security Conference "alongside reassuring voices" about the unity of the West "we also heard profound expressions of doubt. Doubts about whether we, in what we once called the West, still share the same values. Whether we still play by the same rules, whether we are still on the same team'. This was stated by the President of the Munich Security Conference, the former German Ambassador to Washington, Wolfgang Ischinger, in his closing speech at Msc 2026.

"Our friends from Denmark and Greenland in particular," Ischinger continued, "have reminded us that if certain limits are crossed, this will not be ignored. We have also seen a greater spirit of European determination to hold this firm line, to defend what we believe are essentially European values. Europeans are stepping up their defence, there is no doubt about it. We are collectively willing to take greater responsibility not only for the burden of defence, but for our collective responsibility to try to preserve peace, to prevent conflict'.

MUNICH- On the final day of the Munich Conference, which once again saw the two sides of the Atlantic exchange criticism and openness, it was the turn of the EU's High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, to reject the accusation of the decline of European civilisation. "Contrary to what some might say, 'woke and decadent' Europe is not experiencing the erasure of its civilisation. On the contrary, many want to join our club,' Kallas said on Sunday 15 February.

After the ECB in Paris, Geneva or Brussels? 'I will check where my grandchildren live and then decide'. This is how ECB President Christine Lagarde responded during a panel at the Munich Conference to a question about her future as her mandate officially ends or is due to end in October 2027. The moderator asked her whether she was planning to move from Frankfurt to Paris, Geneva or Brussels, i.e. whether she would run for the presidency of France, head the World Economic Forum or be the president of the EU Council.

Christine Lagarde. EPA/RONALD WITTEK

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Slovakia, continuing his European tour with visits to countries led by President Donald Trump's right-wing allies. A tour that also includes a subsequent stop in Hungary. Visits that come in the aftermath of the Munich speech in which Rubio called on Europeans to defend 'Western civilisation', urging them to support the US president's vision of a 'renewal' of the world order. During a several-hour visit to Bratislava, Rubio will meet Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, a nationalist leader who has positioned himself as a Trump ally. During a recent visit to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Fico reportedly expressed concern about the US president's mental state, according to Politico, citing anonymous European diplomats. Both Washington and Bratislava vehemently denied this. The Slovak leader said after the meeting at Mar-a-Lago that he and Trump had had 'extremely important' discussions on nuclear energy. The US Secretary of State will then travel to Budapest tomorrow to meet with Hungarian officials, including Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Trump makes no secret of his support for Hungary's right-wing nationalist leader, whom he describes as a 'strong and powerful man', ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 April. Orbán faces the toughest challenge to his grip on power since he returned to office in 2010, as his Fidesz party is trailing opposition leader Peter Magyar's Tisza party in polls ahead of the election.

Marco Rubio all’aeroporto internazionale di Monaco (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)

"The internal market is waking up". This was said by the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, during a panel at the Munich Security Conference. "If I look at last year's growth, it was only 1.5 per cent, but it was driven entirely by consumption and investment," Lagarde further said, adding that "exports made a negative contribution".

'Europe grows in times of crisis. Europe is stronger, it grows stronger in times of crisis'. This was said by the President of the European Central Bank (ECB), Christine Lagarde, during a panel at the Munich Security Conference. "Two crises have been mentioned. I would add a third one, which is the kick in the butt we all received as a result of President Trump's change of attitude towards Europe. I'm not dismissing the issue, I'm just saying that this is what's happening right now, and it brings European leaders and policymakers very close together, and this has to continue"; Lagarde said again, emphasising that "markets are not always wrong. And if I look at the amount of money that is being invested right now, particularly by venture capitalists, in those key sectors where the price-to-earnings ratios and the price-to-book ratios are increasing massively... the money is coming."

The European Union is ''not yet ready'' to give Ukraine a date for its accession. This was stated by Edgars Rinkevics, President of Latvia, during a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference. "We know that we need Ukraine in the EU,'' but talking to other EU leaders there is "a feeling that at this point, as we speak here in Munich today in February, there is no readiness to agree on a date,'' the Latvian president said. The EU "wants to see Ukraine as soon as possible" join the Union, but needs to address two other issues as part of this process, Rinkevics said. The Latvian president believes that the EU 'must look to the Western Balkans', as the EU 'has lost all credibility in the region' by not making progress on its membership prospects. "We promised so many things in exchange for reforms, for example the name change of North Macedonia. We promised them membership for so long,' he stressed. Moreover, Moldova should not be forgotten, he said, because 'yes, it is a small country, but if Ukraine joins, we cannot exclude Moldova, so it will no longer be just Ukraine', adding that this would require 'a very serious discussion' on how to manage the process.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called US President Donald Trump's stance on the conflict in Ukraine "shameful". "I consider the attempt to force Ukraine into a surrender agreement with" Russian President Vladimir "Putin" to be shameful, Clinton said last night during a panel at the Munich Security Conference, as reported by the German news agency Dpa.

"I was not very shocked last year when Vice President" US J.D. Vance "delivered his speech" whereas, with respect to Secretary Rubio's "speech, frankly, I appreciated many of the points he made. First, I think the commitment on transatlantic relations is there'. This was said by Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, former NATO Secretary General, in a panel discussion at the Munich Security Conference.

"There was also the recognition, and this is the second point," Stoltenberg continued, "that we will have deep disagreements to resolve. But let's face it, we have had similar cases in the past, when the war in Iraq started', when 'there was no complete agreement between the European allies and the United States'.

"A priority is stability in Europe's neighbouring countries to the east and south. This is where Europe has the most power. Our priority here is enlargement, the antidote to Russian imperialism. Since 1990, the states that freed themselves from Soviet rule and joined the EU have grown at more than twice the rate of Russia. In 1990, Russians were twice as rich as Poles. Today Poles are about 70 per cent richer than Russians'. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said this in Munich.

In Marco Rubio's speech, 'I think there were messages for us and messages for the American public, especially its voters. Every time I hear this criticism of Europe - it's very fashionable right now - I think about what the alternative is and all the best that we have received from Europe and all the good that Europe offers. When I travel around the world, I see that countries look at us because we represent values that are still high. That is why it is very difficult for me to believe these accusations. Coming from a country that is second in the Press Freedom Index, to hear criticism of press freedom from a country that is 58th in this list, it is interesting". This was said by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas at the Munich Security Conference. "I think the message we got from there is that America and Europe are interconnected, have been in the past and will be in the future. I think this is important. It's also clear that we don't see eye to eye on all issues, and that will continue to be true. But I think we can work from there,' he stressed.

L’Alta rappresentate Ue per la politica estera e la sicurezza, Kaja Kallas. REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen

"Let me draw more inspiration from the Marvel universe. Heroes are shaped by their past, by the choices they make, not by the powers they are endowed with. The way forward for Europe is clear. Defending Europe, ensuring the security of our neighbours and building partnerships around the world'. This was said by the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Kaja Kallas, at the Munich Security Conference.

"The message we heard" yesterday from Secretary of State Marco Rubio is that "America and Europe are intertwined, have been in the past and will be in the future. I think that's important. It's also clear that we don't see eye to eye on all issues and that will remain the case in the future, but I think we can work from that point." This was said by EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas in her speech at the Munich Security Conference.

With respect to the criticism coming from the US about Europe's alleged decline in values, Kallas explained that "every time I hear this attack on Europe I think about what the alternative is and all the best or good things we have achieved from Europe and all the good things that Europe actually represents. We are pushing humanity forward, trying to defend human rights and everything else, which actually brings prosperity to people as well'. And then, you know, 'it's very difficult for me', coming from a country that is 'ranked second for freedom of the press', 'to hear criticism about freedom of speech coming from a country that is 58th on this list'.

Further reading

Rubio: 'US children of Europe, but we will not stand idly by and watch the decline of the West'

14 February 2026

"Let us be clear-headed about Russia: it is not a superpower. After more than a decade of conflict, including four years of full-scale war, Russia has advanced little from the 2014 lines. The cost? 1.2 million casualties. Today Russia is broken, its economy is in tatters, it is disconnected from European energy markets and its own citizens are fleeing. In fact, the biggest threat Russia poses now is to achieve more at the negotiating table than it has on the battlefield'. This was said by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, in Munich.

"Contrary to what some might say, woke and decadent Europe is not facing the decline of its civilisation. On the contrary, people still want to join our club, and not only their European compatriots". This was said by the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Kaja Kallas, at the Munich Security Conference.

"When I was in Canada last year, I was told that over 40 per cent of Canadians are interested in joining the European Union, so the waiting list is quite long. I only hope that those who have been waiting for a long time will not have to wait much longer," Kallas said, emphasising that "as the polls show, those who are already members want their Union to take a stronger role in the world, to defend our values, care for our people and advance humanity.

MUNICH - It was the most eagerly awaited speech of the Munich conference, that of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It ended with a liberating standing ovation when he closed his speech by assuring that 'the United States and Europe are meant to be together'. The 'European friends' feared a repetition of Vice-President JD Vance's shock attack at the last conference, when the rift between the Trump administration and the liberal democracies of the old continent became glaring.

Kaja Kallas and Christine Lagarde will be the leading figures on the last day of the Munich Security Conference. The morning will open with the speech of EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Kallas, who will be the protagonist of a panel together with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Sekerinska and French Under-Secretary of the Armed Forces Alice Rufo. The next session will be devoted to competitiveness and will feature speakers Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank, and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal. Also scheduled are speeches by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg, and British Shadow Foreign Minister Priti Patel. The conference will end at 1 p.m. with closing remarks by the event chairman Wolfgang Ischinger.