❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a landmark speech at the Munich Security Conference in Germany, reaffirming President Donald J. Trump’s America First foreign policy and calling for a revitalized transatlantic alliance.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and European leaders.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, February 14, 2026. At the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
💬KEY QUOTE: “[W]e in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline.” — Secretary of State Marco Rubio
🎯IMPACT: The speech was generally well-received, though it highlighted ongoing policy differences between the United States and Europe that must be addressed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered the keynote address at the Munich Security Conference in Germany over the weekend, warning that “we in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline,” while stressing the unique relationship between the nations of the Western world, stating, “We want Europe to be strong. We believe that Europe must survive.” The Secretary of State reaffirmed the United States’s commitment to revitalizing the transatlantic alliance, but emphasized the need for Europe—like America—to turn the tide on mass immigration and deindustrialization.
“Deindustrialization was not inevitable. It was a conscious policy choice, a decades-long economic undertaking that stripped our nations of their wealth, of their productive capacity, and of their independence,” Rubio said, noting that “the loss of our supply chain sovereignty was not a function of a prosperous and healthy system of global trade. It was foolish.”
“Mass migration is not, was not, isn’t some fringe concern of little consequence. It was and continues to be a crisis which is transforming and destabilizing societies all across the West,” he continued, adding, “Together we can reindustrialize our economies and rebuild our capacity to defend our people. But the work of this new alliance should not be focused just on military cooperation and reclaiming the industries of the past. It should also be focused on, together, advancing our mutual interests and new frontiers, unshackling our ingenuity, our creativity, and the dynamic spirit to build a new Western century.”
He also condemned the United Nations (UN) for its failure to resolve conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine. Despite this, Rubio emphasized the enduring connection between the U.S. and Europe, stating, “Our destiny will always be intertwined with yours (in Europe).” He added, “The end of the transatlantic era is neither our goal nor our wish… we will always be a child of Europe.”
The response from European leaders has been largely positive, albeit with some trepidation. ″[Rubio] delivered a speech which still assured us that we stand together in this partnership between Europe and the United States,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said in an interview following the speech. He added, “Of course, there are some questions which we will have to discuss, but in the end of the day, his message was clear that we were so successful in the past, and we should do the job once again with new threats, with new tests in the 21st century.”
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