"The best we can hope for": Rubio’s Munich call for unity fails to charm Europe

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a carefully worded address at the Munich Security Conference on February 14, seeking to reassure European partners after a turbulent first year of Donald Trump’s second term. 

Yet while his rhetoric offered polite optimism, European officials described his speech as “the best we can hope for” from Washington — but insufficient to restore full confidence in the transatlantic alliance, Caliber.Az reports via the Financial Times.

Speaking to an audience of European leaders and ministers, Rubio hailed the “unbreakable link” between the US and Europe, emphasising that America would “always be a child of Europe.”

The applause from the audience was as much relief as admiration, reflecting unease over a year marked by aggressive US foreign policy, tariffs on European nations, and Trump’s controversial support for Eurosceptic candidates.

Despite a softer tone than the confrontational speech delivered last year by US Vice-President JD Vance, Rubio’s address largely reiterated administration talking points. He criticised European energy policies as pandering to a “climate cult” while claiming mass migration threatened “civilisation erasure.”

“Rubio is the best we can hope for from the [US] administration,” said a senior European minister. “But he was still pretty clear that if the transatlantic relationship is not broken, it’s significantly different from what we are used to.”

European officials noted that the nuance in Rubio’s rhetoric made it harder to gauge the US threat, in contrast to Vance’s overtly aggressive approach, which had prompted immediate unity in response. “It is nice that [Rubio] held out a hand instead of poking us in the eye… but nothing has changed,” said another minister in Munich.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen underscored that, despite Rubio’s reassurance, the US-European relationship remained fundamentally strained. “Some lines have been crossed that cannot be uncrossed anymore… The European way of life, our democratic foundation and the trust of our citizens, is being challenged in new ways,” she said.

Rubio’s visit comes just weeks after Trump threatened, and then backtracked, on potential military action to seize Greenland from Denmark — an episode described by analysts as the “Greenland fiasco.” European diplomats indicated that the real message from Rubio’s tour of Slovakia and Hungary was to signal US support for governments critical of Brussels, rather than to mend transatlantic ties.

Tensions are particularly pronounced over Ukraine, where the US has pressed Kyiv to make concessions in peace talks, while European capitals call for increased pressure on Moscow. “Too often those concessions are discussed in the context only of Ukraine, not Russia,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his conference speech.

Germany, traditionally reliant on the US nuclear umbrella, has begun to explore closer defence ties with France, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirming talks with President Emmanuel Macron on European nuclear deterrence.

Analysts said Rubio’s speech represented “damage control” rather than a breakthrough. “He clearly doesn’t appreciate the EU. He has a very nationalist view of Europe,” said German MP Roderich Kiesewetter. Yet, a German government insider added that Rubio’s reaffirmation of support for Nato provided a practical foundation for continued cooperation.

As European leaders left Munich, the consensus was cautious. Rubio’s attempt at unity offered reassurance, but many agreed that the transatlantic relationship would not return to its previous norms anytime soon.

By Aghakazim Guliyev