Rubio says US and Europe 'belong together' despite tensions

Marco Rubio has assured European leaders the US does not plan to abandon the transatlantic alliance, saying its destiny "will always be intertwined" with the continent's.

The US secretary of state told the Munich Security Conference: "We do not seek to separate, but to revitalise an old friendship and renew the greatest civilisation in human history."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was "very much reassured" by Rubio's remarks.

Rubio, the Trump administration's most senior diplomat, said it was "neither our goal nor our wish" to end the transatlantic partnership, adding: "For us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe.

"And I am here today to leave it clear that America is charting the path for a new century of prosperity, and that once again we want to do it together with you, our cherished allies and our oldest friends."

However, he repeated several criticisms repeatedly levelled at Europe by the Trump administration, including describing immigration policies as a threat to civilisation, and saying a "climate cult" had taken over economic policy.

On trade, he said Europe and the US had "made mistakes together" by adopting a "dogmatic vision of free and unfettered trade".

He repeated familiar calls from the US for Europe to invest more in defence, saying: "We want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength."

In response, von der Leyen said: "[Rubio is] a good friend, a strong ally. And this was, for me, very reassuring to listen to him."

She continued: "We want a strong Europe. And this is, I think, the message of today."

Elsewhere in his half-hour address, Rubio said the system of international co-operation "must be rebuilt" and singled out the UN for particular criticism, saying it had "played virtually no role" in resolving the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts.

He also said the organisation was "powerless to constrain the nuclear programme" of Tehran.

In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump has threatened strikes on Iran if a deal to curb its nuclear programme can be reached, as negotiations between the two intensify.

A second round of talks will be hosted by Oman in Geneva next week, the Swiss foreign ministry said on Saturday.

Outside the conference, an estimated 200,000 protesters held a rally against the Iranian government, local police report.

The demonstrators denounced the country's leadership, following the government crackdown on January's protests in which thousands of people were killed.

Rubio also said the US did not know whether the "Russians are serious about ending the war" in Ukraine, before adding: "But we're going to continue to test it."

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky told the conference later on Saturday that no one in Ukraine believed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would leave the country alone, describing the Russian leader as a "slave to war".

Zelensky has come under pressure from the White House to hold presidential elections, which have been suspended while the country is under martial law.

Asked about a Financial Times report that his administration was planning for elections as soon as May, Zelensky said it was "something new to me" and repeated that "nobody supports elections during the war".

He said that Ukraine would need "two months of ceasefire" and "security infrastructure" to safely conduct elections.

Addressing Russian threats to the continent, he told the conference: "We must build our hard power, because that is the currency of the age."

As part of efforts to bolster security, Sir Keir announced the UK - in a joint initiative with the US, Canada and other Nato allies - would deploy a fleet of warships, submarines and aircraft to the Arctic and High North.

The UK PM also called for deeper links and co-operation, including a "closer economic alignment", between the UK and the EU.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Finland's President Alexander Stubb also echoed calls for a unified response to Russia.

Sánchez said there was a need to "stop Putin" and strengthen European defence capabilities, but added: "Let's do it in a co-ordinated and targeted way."

He also insisted on the building of a "true European army, not in 10 years but now".

Frederiksen added that Putin was not interested in peace and that "we have to recognise... that Russia will not change".

She said Europe "knows exactly what we need to deliver," referencing Ukraine's calls for additional air defences.

Stubb said he did not see a "direct threat" from Russia to Nato right now, but an Arctic training exercise with 20,000 Nato soldiers would help outline possible defence scenarios.