Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a sweeping and well-received address at the Munich Security Conference, calling on European leaders to revitalize their nations and join the United States in what he described as a renewed effort to defend Western civilization.
Rubio’s speech, framed as a forceful endorsement of the Trump administration’s “America First” foreign policy, emphasized that the bond between the United States and Europe is rooted not only in shared interests but in a common history, culture and heritage.
He urged America’s allies to reject policies he said have contributed to national decline and instead embrace a durable trans-Atlantic alliance grounded in shared “civilizational” values.
“It is time to unshackle our ingenuity and build a new Western century,” Rubio said, arguing that the next era of cooperation should extend beyond traditional military coordination to include emerging economic and technological frontiers. He highlighted areas such as commercial space travel, artificial intelligence, industrial automation and critical mineral supply chains as key to Western competitiveness.
Rubio also framed security as more than budgets and troop deployments, telling the audience that nations ultimately defend a way of life.
“Armies do not fight for abstractions,” he said, adding that the West must remain confident in its history and future.
A significant portion of Rubio’s remarks focused on migration, which he described as a destabilizing crisis across Western societies. He argued that controlling borders is a matter of sovereignty rather than xenophobia, and warned that failure to do so threatens the fabric of nations.
Under President Donald Trump, Rubio said, the United States is committed to “renewal and restoration” and hopes to pursue that mission alongside Europe, though he noted America is prepared to act alone if necessary.
He criticized what he called a “managed decline” mentality and said the West should not be paralyzed by fear — whether of war, climate change or technology — but instead race boldly into the future.
Rubio also questioned the effectiveness of international institutions, arguing that the United Nations has played little role in resolving major global conflicts, from Gaza to Ukraine, and that American leadership has been decisive in confronting threats from Iran and Venezuela.
In one of the most personal moments of the speech, Rubio reflected on his own family history, describing ancestors who lived in Italy and Spain at the time of America’s founding and could not have imagined their descendant returning to Europe as U.S. secretary of state.
He closed with an appeal for unity and reciprocity, saying the fate of the United States and Europe remains intertwined.
“Yesterday is over,” Rubio said. “The future is inevitable, and our destiny together awaits.”
Source: U.S. Dept of State