But the EU's foreign policy chief is pushing back against the US's portrayal of Europe in decline - a day after Washington's top diplomat criticized the bloc's immigration and climate policies. Kaja Kallas said Europe is "not facing civilizational erasure" and that "Europe bashing had become fashionable in certain political circles." But she added that the much-anticipated speech by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the conference "reassured" transatlantic ties.
Sunday, February 15, 2026
EU's Kallas Refutes US Portrayal of Europe in Decline at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2026 | DW News
Feb 15, 2026 | With transatlantic ties strained, Saturday's keynote speech at the Munich Security Conference by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was highly-anticipated. He struck a conciliatory yet critical tone of Europe while Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenksyy also took to the stage, calling Russian President Putin a "slave to war."
But the EU's foreign policy chief is pushing back against the US's portrayal of Europe in decline - a day after Washington's top diplomat criticized the bloc's immigration and climate policies. Kaja Kallas said Europe is "not facing civilizational erasure" and that "Europe bashing had become fashionable in certain political circles." But she added that the much-anticipated speech by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the conference "reassured" transatlantic ties.
But the EU's foreign policy chief is pushing back against the US's portrayal of Europe in decline - a day after Washington's top diplomat criticized the bloc's immigration and climate policies. Kaja Kallas said Europe is "not facing civilizational erasure" and that "Europe bashing had become fashionable in certain political circles." But she added that the much-anticipated speech by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the conference "reassured" transatlantic ties.
