Munich Security Conference: Europe urges greater defense role as rifts show

European leaders renewed the call for continental "agency" on defense and security at the Munich Security Conference as sharp exchanges over Ukraine, migration and transatlantic burden-sharing underscored strains in relations with Washington.

Opening the annual Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned the rules-based world order "no longer exists."

Merz told world leaders that "our freedom is not guaranteed" in what he described as an era of big power politics, and said Europeans must be prepared to make "sacrifice."

He also acknowledged that "a deep divide has opened between Europe and the United States."

'Child of Europe'

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, however, sought to calm European concerns, casting the United States as a "child of Europe" and declaring that "for the United States and Europe, we belong together." His speech drew a standing ovation.

"In a time of headlines heralding the end of the transatlantic era, let it be known and clear to all that this is neither our goal nor our wish," Rubio said.

He offered reassurance but made no concrete new commitments and did not mention Russia in his address. 

He also repeated criticisms of mass migration and warned against what he described as the West's "managed decline," saying Washington wanted allies to be strong.

'Europe Bashing'

As the international security conference entered its final day, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas pushed back against criticism of Europe, rejecting suggestions of civilizational decline and insisting the continent must shape its own security future.

"Contrary to what some may say, woke, decadent Europe is not facing civilizational erasure," she said.

Kallas stressed that European defense "starts in Ukraine" and depends on how the conflict with Russia ends, as the United States presses to halt the fighting. 

Her comments reflected a broader theme in Munich that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security amid doubts about US reliability under the current administration. 

"There is an urgent need to reclaim European agency," Kallas said.

France's Europe minister Benjamin Haddad echoed that message, warning against overinterpreting warm rhetoric from Washington. He also backed up the calls for Europe to pay less attention to what the US says and focus on bolstering its own capabilities. 

"I think the worst lesson we could draw from this weekend is to say, well, I can cling to some love words that I heard in part of his speech and push the snooze button," Haddad said of Rubio's address. 

European reaction

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was "very much reassured" by Rubio's remarks and Germany's foreign minister Johann Wadephul called him a "true partner."

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Rubio's appeal to a common legacy was welcome but would not alter Europe's strategy of building a strong and independent continent.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that questioning the sovereignty of NATO members or excluding Europeans from key negotiations damages the alliance. 

"I am not sure that Europeans see the announced civilizational decline, supposedly caused mainly by migration and deindustrialization, as a core uniting interest,"said Gabrielius Landsbergis, former foreign minister of NATO member Lithuania. "For most Europeans, the common interest is security." 

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Trump remained "very serious" about acquiring Greenland, stressing that national sovereignty must be respected and that Greenlanders had said they did not want to become Americans.

Ukraine conflict

Ukraine remained at the heart of discussions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described European unity as the "best interceptor" against Russia and called for a "real common defense policy" across the continent.

He said the United States often returned to the issue of concessions, but "too often those concessions are discussed only in the context of Ukraine, not Russia."

Zelenskyy argued that no European country can stand alone and said it would be "simply not smart" to keep Ukraine's army outside NATO.

China's ties with Europe and Canada

Meeting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing hoped to bring bilateral ties to a "new level" and to prepare for further high-level exchanges. He expressed support for Germany playing a greater role in maintaining "strategic autonomy and self-reliance" and becoming a "stabilizing anchor" in China-Europe relations.

Wang also met Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand and said the two countries should work together to "eliminate interference" and restart exchanges. 

He praised Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent visit to China as "fruitful,”"while Anand described it as a "great success" that opened a new era in bilateral relations.

Europe must 'stand on its own two feet'

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged European nations to be prepared to fight to protect their people, values and way of life.

Speaking on Saturday, Starmer said Europe needed to "stand on its own two feet" on defense and called for closer cooperation between the UK and the EU, including deeper economic ties.

"We must build our hard power, because that is the currency of the age," he told conference delegates.