{"id":468723,"date":"2026-02-14T19:10:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T19:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/468723\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T19:10:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T19:10:07","slug":"secretary-of-state-calls-on-european-leaders-to-defend-western-civilization-in-munich-security-conference-speech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/468723\/","title":{"rendered":"Secretary of State\u00a0Calls on European Leaders to Defend Western Civilization\u00a0in Munich Security Conference Speech"},"content":{"rendered":"

Click\u00a0here<\/a>\u00a0to watch\u00a0the\u00a0Secretary\u2019s\u00a0full remarks.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Key excerpts\u00a0from\u00a0Secretary Rubio\u2019s speech can be found below:\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is time to unshackle our ingenuity and build a new Western century.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether we can reindustrialize our economies and rebuild our capacity to defend our people. \u00a0But the work of this new alliance should not be focused just on military cooperation and reclaiming the industries of the past. \u00a0It should also be focused on, together, advancing our mutual interests and new frontiers, unshackling our ingenuity, our creativity, and the dynamic spirit to build a new Western century. Commercial space travel and\u00a0cutting-edge\u00a0artificial intelligence; industrial automation and flex manufacturing; creating a Western supply chain for critical minerals not vulnerable to extortion from other powers; and a unified effort to compete for market share in the economies of the Global South.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether we can not only take back control of our own industries and supply chains \u2013 we can prosper in the areas that will define the 21st century.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Armies do not fight for abstractions. They fight for a people, a nation, and a way of life. That is what we are defending.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cNational security, which this conference is\u00a0largely about, is not merely a series of technical questions\u2014how much we spend on defense or where and how we deploy it. These are important questions, but they are not the fundamental one. The fundamental question we must answer at the outset is: what exactly are we defending? \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause armies do not fight for abstractions.\u00a0Armies fight for a people; armies fight for a nation. \u00a0Armies fight for a way of life. \u00a0And that is what we are defending: a great civilization that has every reason to be proud of its history, confident of its future, and aims to always be the master of its own economic and political destiny.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

We are all part of one civilization: Western civilization.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are part of one civilization \u2013 Western civilization. \u00a0We are bound to one another by the deepest bonds that nations could share, forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry, and the sacrifices our\u00a0forefathers\u00a0made together for the common civilization to which we have fallen heir.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Mass migration is not some fringe concern of little consequence.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMass migration is not, was not,\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0some fringe concern of little consequence. \u00a0It was and continues to be a crisis which is transforming and destabilizing societies\u00a0all across\u00a0the West.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Under President Trump, America will once again take on the task of renewal and restoration. It is our hope to do this together with our friends in Europe.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cUnder President Trump, the United States of America will once again take on the task of renewal and restoration, driven by a vision of a future as proud, as sovereign, and as vital as our civilization\u2019s past. \u00a0And while we are prepared, if necessary, to do this alone, it is our preference and it is our hope to do this together with you, our friends here in Europe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our predecessors recognized that decline was a choice, and it was a choice they refused to make.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cBut together, our predecessors recognized that decline was a choice, and it was a choice they refused to make. \u00a0This is what we did together once before, and this is what President\u00a0Trump\u00a0and the United States want to do again now, together with you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

We in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West\u2019s managed decline.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor we in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West\u2019s managed decline. \u00a0We do not\u00a0seek\u00a0to separate, but to revitalize an old friendship and renew the greatest civilization in human history.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we want is a reinvigorated alliance that recognizes that what has ailed our societies is not just a set of bad policies but a malaise of hopelessness and complacency. \u00a0An alliance \u2013 the alliance that we want is one that is not paralyzed into inaction by fear \u2013 fear of climate change, fear of war, fear of technology. \u00a0Instead, we want an alliance that boldly races into the future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

We do not want allies shackled by guilt and shame. We want allies who are proud of their culture and heritage and are willing to help us defend it.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength. \u00a0This is why we do not want our allies to be shackled by guilt and shame. \u00a0We want allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilization, and who, together with us, are willing and able to defend it. And this is why we do not want allies to rationalize the broken status quo rather than reckon with what is necessary to fix it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The only fear we have is the fear of the shame of not leaving our nation prouder, stronger, and wealthier for our children and an alliance ready to defend our people and safeguard our freedom to shape our own destiny.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only fear we have is the fear of the shame of not leaving our nations prouder, stronger, and wealthier for our children. An alliance ready to defend our people, to safeguard our interests, and to preserve the freedom of action that allows us to shape our own destiny \u2013 not one that exists to\u00a0operate\u00a0a global welfare state and atone for the\u00a0purported sins\u00a0of past generations. \u00a0An alliance that does not allow its power to be outsourced, constrained, or subordinated to systems beyond its control; one that does not depend on others for the critical necessities of its national life; and one that does not maintain the polite pretense that our way of life is just one among many and that asks for permission before it acts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

I am reminded by my own story that both the history and fate of the United States and Europe will always be linked together.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe year that my country was founded, Lorenzo and Catalina\u00a0Geroldi\u00a0lived in Casale Monferrato in the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. \u00a0And Jose and Manuela Reina lived in Sevilla, Spain. I don\u2019t know what, if anything, they knew about the 13 colonies which had gained their independence from the British empire, but here\u2019s what I am certain of: They could have never imagined that 250 years later, one of their direct descendants would be back here today on this continent as the chief diplomat of that infant nation. And yet here I am, reminded by my own story that both our histories and our fates will always be linked. Together we rebuilt a shattered continent in the wake of two devastating world wars. When we found ourselves divided once again by the Iron Curtain, the free West linked arms with the courageous dissidents struggling against tyranny in the East to defeat Soviet communism. We have fought against each other, then reconciled, then fought, then reconciled again. \u00a0And we have bled and died side by side on battlefields from\u00a0Kapyong\u00a0to Kandahar.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

America is charting the path for a new century of prosperity and we want to do it with Europe. Yesterday is over. The future is inevitable. Our destiny awaits together.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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\u00a0allies\u00a0and our oldest friends. We want to do it together with you, with a Europe that is proud of its heritage and of its history; with a Europe that has the spirit of creation of liberty that sent ships out into uncharted seas and birthed our civilization; with a Europe that has the means to defend itself and the will to survive.\u00a0 We should be proud of what we achieved together in the last century, but now we must confront and embrace the opportunities of a new one \u2013 because yesterday is over, the future is inevitable, and our destiny together awaits.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The ideas and success of our shared past foreshadow the wonders that await us in our future, but only if we are unapologetic in our heritage and proud of this common inheritance.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was here in Europe where the ideas that planted the seeds of liberty that changed the world were born. \u00a0It was here in Europe where the world \u2013 which gave the world the rule of law, the universities, and the scientific revolution. \u00a0It was this continent that produced the genius of Mozart and Beethoven, of Dante and Shakespeare, of Michelangelo and Da Vinci, of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. \u00a0And this is the place where the vaulted ceilings of the Sistine Chapel and the towering spires of the great cathedral in Cologne, they testify not just to the greatness of our past or to a faith in God that inspired these marvels. \u00a0They foreshadow the wonders that await us in our future. \u00a0But only if we are unapologetic in our heritage and proud of this common inheritance can we together begin the work of envisioning and shaping our economic and our political future.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a perfect world all of these problems and more would be solved by diplomats and strongly worded resolutions.\u00a0But we do not live in a perfect world.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a perfect world,\u00a0all of\u00a0these problems and more would be solved by diplomats and strongly worded resolutions. \u00a0But we do not live in a perfect world, and we cannot continue to allow those who blatantly and openly threaten our citizens and endanger our global stability to shield themselves behind abstractions of international law which they themselves routinely violate. This is the path that President Trump and the United States has embarked upon. \u00a0It is the path we ask you here in Europe to join us on.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The United Nations still has tremendous potential to be a tool for good in the world but we cannot ignore that on the most pressing matters before us, it has no answers and has played virtually no role.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u00a0United Nations still has tremendous potential to be a tool for good in the world. \u00a0But we cannot ignore that today, on the most pressing matters before us, it has no answers and has played\u00a0virtually no\u00a0role. \u00a0It could not solve the war in Gaza. \u00a0Instead, it was American leadership that freed captives from barbarians and brought about a fragile truce. \u00a0It had not solved the war in Ukraine. \u00a0It took American leadership and partnership with many of the countries here today just to bring the two sides to the table in search of a still-elusive peace. It was powerless to constrain the nuclear program of radical Shia clerics in Tehran. \u00a0That required 14 bombs dropped with precision from American B-2 bombers. \u00a0And it was unable to address the threat to our security from a\u00a0narcoterrorist\u00a0dictator in Venezuela. Instead, it took American Special Forces to bring this fugitive to justice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Controlling who and how many people enter our countries is not an expression of hate or xenophobia. It is a fundamental act of national sovereignty.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cControlling who and how many people enter our\u00a0countries,\u00a0this is not an expression of xenophobia. \u00a0It is not\u00a0hate. It is a fundamental act of national sovereignty. \u00a0And the failure to do so is not just an abdication of one of our most basic duties owed to our people. \u00a0It is an urgent threat to the fabric of our societies and the survival of our civilization itself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our destiny is and will always be intertwined with Europe. This is why President Trump demands seriousness and reciprocity from them.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so,\u00a0this is why we Americans may sometimes come off as a little direct and urgent in our counsel. \u00a0This is why President Trump demands seriousness and reciprocity from our friends here in Europe. \u00a0The\u00a0reason why, my friends, is because we care deeply. \u00a0We care deeply about your future and ours. \u00a0And if at times we disagree, our disagreements come from our profound sense of concern about a Europe with which we are connected \u2013 not just economically, not just militarily. We are connected spiritually and we are connected culturally.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want Europe to be strong. \u00a0We believe that Europe must survive, because the two great wars of the last century serve for us as history\u2019s constant reminder that ultimately, our destiny is and will always be intertwined with yours, because we know that the fate of Europe will never be irrelevant to our own.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Click\u00a0here\u00a0to watch\u00a0the\u00a0Secretary\u2019s\u00a0full remarks.\u00a0 Key excerpts\u00a0from\u00a0Secretary Rubio\u2019s speech can be found below:\u00a0 It is time to unshackle our ingenuity…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9835,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,3,21,19,22,20,25,24],"class_list":{"0":"post-468723","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-united-states-of-america","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","14":"tag-us","15":"tag-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}