Marco Rubio has declared that transatlantic relations stand at a “defining moment”. The Secretary of State emphasised that America remains “deeply tied to Europe” and that the two continents’ futures “have always been linked and will continue to be”.His measured remarks contrast sharply with Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the same forum twelve months ago, which sparked a year of unprecedented friction between Washington and its European partners.Mr Rubio said: “The Old World is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in, and we live in a new era in geopolitics, and it’s going to require all of us to re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be.”
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This year’s conference marks the first major international gathering since President Donald Trump openly discussed annexing Greenland from Denmark, a fellow Nato member, in a move that could effectively end the alliance.President Trump has repeatedly claimed the Danish territory is vital to American national security, asserting without evidence that it was “covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place”.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed on Friday that she intends to meet Rubio in Munich to address Washington’s threats against her country’s semi-autonomous territory.”No one in Europe or in the United States wins from any kind of conflict between old allies,” Prime Minister Frederiksen said, describing the current situation as “a new world disorder”.Many European leaders view the American threats as a watershed moment that has fundamentally damaged trust with their principal ally.French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Europe to prepare for greater independence from Washington, warning last month at Davos that now was “not a time for new imperialism or new colonialism”.German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul acknowledged the Nato alliance faces significant strain, telling local media: “There is alienation, there is irritation about some of the things we hear from Washington. We need to talk about this here together.”Perhaps most strikingly, Peter Leibinger, head of Germany’s industry association BDI, declared in Munich that Europeans must ready their defence sector “with, without and possibly against Washington”.LATEST DEVELOPMENTSQueen Camilla weighs in on US politics with ‘never boring’ remarkUS promises to unleash ‘full range of tools’ against Keir Starmer to protect free speech in BritainDonald Trump revokes landmark greenhouse gases ruling as Barack Obama slams decisionAround 70 heads of state and government along with more than 140 ministers are expected at the tightly secured Munich gathering, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivering the opening address this afternoon.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Munich saying the conference would bring “new steps toward our shared security”, while Sir Keir Starmer will address the summit on Saturday morning following meetings with both Chancellor Merz and President Macron.Russian media reported that another round of negotiations between Moscow, Kyiv and Washington will take place in Geneva on February 17 and 18, though neither Ukraine nor America has confirmed this.A YouGov survey released Friday showed American favourability among the six largest European nations has fallen to its lowest point since tracking began in 2016.Sir Keir’s trip to Germany comes after a rocky week for his administration after a series of controversies, including the Lord Mandelson and Matthew Doyle scandals, multiple staff resignations and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar calling for him to stand down.The Labour leader did not attend last year’s conference. However, he has faced criticism from some quarters for his foreign travel, having made 38 trips overseas since he came to power in 2024.Earlier in the week, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Sir Keir’s international diplomacy meant it was the wrong time for Labour to look for a change of leader.Confirming that he would lead the UK’s delegation to the Munich Security Conference, Ms Cooper said: “At this crucial time for the world, we need his leadership not just at home but on the global stage, and we need to keep our focus where it matters, on keeping our country safe.”
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