Rubio urges renewed US‑Europe cooperation at Munich conference

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reflected on the post–Cold War period, suggesting that early optimism about global cooperation led to strategic miscalculations durting his speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 14.

Rubio argued that the belief that economic integration and liberal democracy would automatically spread worldwide was naïve, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media. 

“The euphoria of this triumph led us to a dangerous delusion that we entered ‘the end of history’ and every nation would now be a liberal democracy, that the ties formed by trade and by commerce alone would now replace nationhood, that the rules based global order, an overused term, would now replace the national interest, and that we would now live in a world without borders, where everyone became a citizen of the world.”

“This was a foolish idea that ignored both human nature and it ignored the lessons of over 5000 years of recorded human history, and it has cost us dearly,” he said.

Rubio warned that in pursuing this idealised global order, Western nations eroded social cohesion.

“In a pursuit of a world without borders, we opened our doors to an unprecedented wave of mass migration that threatens the cohesion of our societies, the continuity of our culture and the future of our people.”

Critique of climate policy, international institutions

The U.S. secretary of state also criticised Western climate policy. Rubio described efforts to reduce emissions as an attempt “to appease a climate cult,” asserting these policies have “impoverished our people, even as our competitors exploit oil and coal and natural gas.”

Addressing the structure of international governance, Rubio said existing multilateral institutions require reform rather than abandonment. He said the United Nations has “tremendous potential,” but argued that its repeated failure to resolve crises ranging from Gaza to Ukraine shows it is “powerless” without substantive reform.

Rubio contrasted this with what he described as decisive action by the United States, and underscored his view that global decline is not inevitable: “Decline is a choice” — a choice that was rejected after 1945 and should be rejected again today.

U.S.–Europe strategic ties

Throughout his remarks, Rubio stressed deep cultural and historical ties between the United States and Europe, framing transatlantic cooperation as foundational both politically and spiritually.

“So this is why we Americans may sometimes come off as a little direct and urgent in our counsel. … The reason why, my friends, is because we care deeply. We care deeply about your future and ours, and if at times we disagree, our disagreements come from our profound sense of concern about a Europe with which we are connected, not just economically, not just militarily, we are connected spiritually and we are connected culturally.”

He concluded by emphasising the need to maintain and deepen cooperation with Europe on economic and technological fronts, including artificial intelligence, while reforming international institutions to address emerging global challenges.

By Sabina Mammadli