AJ
At the Munich Security Conference, Marco Rubio spoke about Russia and Ukraine, China, and the important close relationship that exists between the US and Europe.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech began: “The euphoria of the triumph in the Cold War led us to a dangerous delusion – that we entered the ‘end of history,’ that every nation would now be a liberal democracy…
“That we would now be living in a world without borders where everyone became a citizen of the world,” Rubio continued, adding: “This was a foolish idea that ignored both human nature and lessons of 5,000 years of recorded human history.”
“In pursuit of a world without borders, we opened our doors to an unprecedented wave of mass migration that threatens the cohesion of our societies, the continuity of our culture, and the future of our people,” Rubio stated.
Rubio added: “The United States of America will once again take on the task of renewal and restoration, driven by a vision of a future as proud as it is sovereign, and as vital as our civilisation’s past – and while we are prepared, if necessary, to do this alone, it is our preference – and it is our hope – to do it together with you, our friends here in Europe.”
“For the United States and Europe, we belong together,” Rubio continued, noting that America was founded 250 years ago, but its roots began “here on this continent long before that.”
Rubio reiterated: “The people who settled and built my country of birth arrived on our shores carrying the memories, traditions, and Christian faith of their ancestors as a sacred inheritance – an unbreakable link between the Old World and the New.”
“We are part of one civilisation, a Western civilization, [so] we are bound to one another by the deepest bonds that nations can share, forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry, and the sacrifice our forefathers made together,” Rubio said.
Rubio stated that the US cared about both the future of Europe and the future of the US, and if at times there are disagreements, these come from a profound sense of concern for Europe, to which the US is connected, not just economically, but militarily: “We are connected spiritually, and we are connected culturally.”
“We want Europe to be strong,” Rubio emphasised: “We believe that Europe must survive, because the two great wars of the last century serve as history’s constant reminder – ultimately, our destiny is, and will always be, intertwined with yours.”
Rubio stated that: “Deindustrialisation was not inevitable – it was a conscious policy choice – a decades-long economic undertaking that stripped our nations of their wealth and their strength.”
However, mass migration was not, and is not, some fringe concern of little consequence, Rubio continued, noting that it was and continues to be a crisis, “one that is transforming and destabilising societies in the West.”
“Together, we can not only take back control of our own industries and supply chains; we can also prosper in the areas that will define the 21st Century,” Rubio prophesied, stating that the first step is to regain control of the borders.
“This is not an expression of Xenophobia, it is not hate, it is a fundamental act of national sovereignty, and the failure to do so is not just an abdication of one of our most basic duties of our people – it is an urgent threat to the fabric societies and to the survival of civilisation itself,” Rubio said.
In order to tackle this, Rubio said: “We do not need to abandon the system of international cooperation that we authored, and we do not need to dismantle the global institutions of the old oder that we built together – but they must be reformed – they must be rebuilt.
“For example, the United Nations still has tremendous potential to be a force for good in the world,” Rubio noted, stating that it was also impossible to ignore the fact that, on the most pressing matters “before us today, it has offered no real answers and has played virtually no role.”
Rubio stated: “It could not solve the war in Gaza, instead, it was the American leadership that freed captives from barbarians and helped bring about a fragile truce,” also noting that the UN hadn’t solved the war in Ukraine.
“It has taken American leadership – and partnership with many of the countries represented here today – just to bring the two sides to the table in search of a still-elusive peace,” Rubio confirmed.
However, “we cannot continue to allow those who blatantly and openly threaten our citizens and endanger global stability to shield themselves behind abstractions of international law, which they themselves routinely violate,” Rubio added.
“This is the path that Trump and the United States have embarked on – it is the path forward – and we ask you here in Europe to join us on it,” noting that this is not only a path that both sides have walked before, but also one that Rubio hoped to walk together again.
Rubio informed the EU delegation: “We do not want our allies to be shacked by guilt and shame, we want our allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilisation and who together with us are willing and able to defend it.”
“We in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline,” Rubio continued: For us Americans, our home may be in the Western hemisphere – but we will always be a child of Europe.”
Rubio continued: “[And] I am here today to make it clear that America is charting the path toward a new century of prosperity and that, once again, we want to do it together with you, our cherished allies and our oldest friends.”
“We should be proud of what we achieved together in the last century, but now we must confront and embrace the opportunities of a new one, because yesterday is over, the future is inevitable, and our destiny together awaits,” said Rubio in encouragement to the audience.
Following the podium talk, Rubio was asked about Ukraine, and said: “We don’t know if the Russians are serious about ending the war – they say they are – we’re going to continue to test it.”
Talking about China, Rubio said: “It would be geopolitical malpractice not to engage in conversations with China – because we’re two large countries with huge global interests – our national interests will often not align.”
Rubio continued: “We expect China to act in its national interests, just as we expect every nation-state to act on its own – the goal of diplomacy is to navigate the times when our national social interests come into conflict, always striving to do so peacefully.”
