Comply with US conditions or fight alone: ​​US Secretary of State to Europe

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has delivered a tough yet tactful message to European countries at the Munich Security Conference, which analysts are seeing as a “serious warning disguised as love.”

In his speech on Valentine’s Day on Saturday (February 14), Rubio described the US-Europe relationship as an inseparable family bond but made it clear that Europe would have to make radical changes to its values ​​and policies to sustain this relationship.

He said the US is only willing to partner with a Europe that embraces Christian values, secures its borders and abandons its current climate policies and liberal political views. In a tone that is reminiscent of “couples’ therapy,” Rubio delivered the message — either change yourself or the US will abandon you.

Rubio’s remarks were a major blow to the European moderates on the Munich stage. The conference organizers had warned that the world had entered an era of “wrecking ball politics.” Rubio followed suit, indirectly supporting the agenda of the far-right opponents of European leaders.

While German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have previously spoken about Europe’s own sovereignty and democratic rights, Rubio sidestepped those arguments and instead emphasized his country’s “national security strategy.” His speech did not address last year’s controversial Greenland issue, but it did hint at the strained relationship.

Meanwhile, the main focus of the conference was the Ukraine crisis. President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted Russia’s atrocities in his speech and called on Europe to develop its own defense strategy. He cited the grim statistics of the Russian advance, saying that 156 Ukrainians are losing their lives for every kilometer of land they occupy.

Zelensky bluntly mocked the rumor of an alleged “secret deal” between Putin and Trump and criticized the pressure to make concessions to Ukraine in the name of peace. However, Rubio’s position makes it clear that the Trump administration is still maintaining a lot of ambiguity on the Ukraine issue, which has become a major cause for concern for European countries.

Overall, the Munich conference has exposed the deep rift in relations between the two sides of the Atlantic. While European leaders are promising more defense spending, the United States is demanding changes in their social and political structures.

With the possibility of major changes in domestic politics in Britain or France before next year’s summit, there is growing concern around the world about where this bitter and complex US-European relationship will turn. Countries like Ukraine are now counting the days just hoping that their existence will not be destroyed by this arrogance on both sides.

Source: CNN.