THIS YEAR, RUBIO AND COLBY used Munich’s stage to defend the Trump administration’s National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy.
Rubio’s counterpart, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, was surprisingly absent from Munich, as he has been from other recent diplomatic engagements, especially those in Europe.
Unsurprisingly, he argued that Europe must assume primary responsibility for its defense while the United States concentrates on the Indo-Pacific.
The United States cannot be strong everywhere, and Europe must continue to invest in its own defense.
When key U.S. leaders suggest Europe must “stand on its own,” they hear us announcing: We will not stand with you.
Forward presence in Europe prevents wars we would otherwise have to fight and enables operations far beyond the continent.
When American representatives use that stage to suggest alliances are transactional, the reverberations extend far beyond the Bayerischer Hof’s walls. »