U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that America does not expect its European allies to act as vassals, but rather as strong, independent partners less dependent on Washington.
Rubio made these remarks during a joint press conference in Bratislava following talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Slovakia marked the first stop on Rubio’s two-nation tour of Central Europe, which he began after attending the recent Munich Security Conference.
Key Messages to Europe
Addressing concerns over U.S. troop movements, Rubio emphasized:
“We are not leaving NATO. We may move a few thousand troops from one country to another, but this has always been the case. We do not want Europe to be dependent on us. We are not asking Europe to be a vassal of the United States. We want to be your partner. The stronger you are, the stronger NATO becomes.”
Rubio reiterated that the U.S. seeks to strengthen collaboration with Europe and stressed that Central Europe will remain a key region for U.S. engagement during the second Trump administration.
Focus on Peace, Energy, and Regional Security
After Slovakia, Rubio will travel to Hungary for talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Discussions are expected to focus on:
- Bilateral relations and reinforcing ties with Trump-aligned allies
- Global peace processes and conflict resolution
- U.S.-Hungary energy partnership
Orbán, a vocal critic of the European Union and strong supporter of Trump, was also the first European leader to join Trump’s Peace Board initiative, which some analysts see as an effort to reshape international governance outside the UN framework.
Central Europe’s Strategic Role
Rubio highlighted the shared fate of the U.S. and Europe but warned that cultural and economic decline in Europe must be reversed, and called for measures to curb mass migration.
