U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Germany later this week, where he will lead a high-level delegation to the Munich Security Conference, before continuing his trip to Slovakia and Hungary.
The 62nd Munich Security Conference will be held from February 13 to 15 and is expected to bring together hundreds of world leaders, including representatives from Kosovo. Kosovo’s delegation is expected to include President Vjosa Osmani, Acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and the Director of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, Petrit Ajeti.
Serbia is also expected to be represented at the conference, including President Aleksandar Vučić, Foreign Minister Marko Đurić, and several other ministers. Other countries from the region are likewise expected to participate with senior officials, including prime ministers.
Rubio’s participation comes at a critical moment, as Washington and its European allies face growing mistrust over security, trade, and the future of the transatlantic alliance—issues expected to dominate discussions in Munich.
Russia’s war in Ukraine, which will enter its fifth year at the end of February, is expected to be a central topic at the conference, alongside tensions related to Iran.
Following the Munich conference, Rubio will embark on a diplomatic tour of Bratislava and Budapest on February 15 and 16, highlighting the U.S. administration’s focus on Central Europe amid heightened strategic uncertainty.
In Slovakia, Rubio is expected to meet with senior officials to advance regional security cooperation and discuss nuclear energy projects, according to the U.S. State Department. In Hungary, discussions will focus on bilateral relations and peace initiatives aimed at resolving global conflicts.
A key moment of Rubio’s visit will be his speech in Munich on February 14, which is expected to draw close attention—particularly in light of last year’s speech by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, which generated significant controversy.
At the time, Vance’s remarks—accusing European leaders of suppressing freedom of expression and failing to manage migration—sparked concern in Brussels and beyond.
This sense of uncertainty is also reflected in the Munich Security Conference’s annual report, published this week by the forum’s organizers, which warns that Europe is entering a “prolonged era of confrontation” driven by Russian aggression.
Transatlantic Tensions
According to the report, the greatest challenge to the liberal international order may now come “from within,” referring to what it describes as a tectonic shift in how the United States views alliances.
Labeling U.S. President Donald Trump as “the most powerful axe-wielder against existing rules and institutions,” the report’s authors suggest that “transactional deals could replace principle-based cooperation,” and that regions may increasingly be dominated by great powers rather than governed by international rules and norms.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker strongly rejected the characterization of an “internal threat,” arguing that Washington aims to rebalance—not dismantle—the postwar international order.
Speaking to journalists on February 9, Whitaker dismissed claims that the United States is retreating from long-standing alliances.
“We are trying to make NATO stronger,” he said, noting that pressure on European allies to increase defense spending is about strengthening capabilities, not abandoning the alliance.
On trade, Whitaker described the U.S. position as a response to what he called unfair imbalances.
Regarding Greenland—about which Trump has stated that the U.S. seeks control—Whitaker said the objective is tied to security concerns related to Russia and China. /RFE/RL
