Rubio says UN has ‘no role’ in solving wars, like Gaza; seeks to reassure Europe on Trump

Times of Israel · Feb 14, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure a nervous Europe on Saturday, saying that Washington wanted to recharge the transatlantic alliance so that a strong Europe could help the US on its mission of global “renewal,” while criticizing the United Nations for having “virtually no role” in resolving conflicts, including Gaza. Speaking at a security conference in Munich after months of turmoil in US-European relations sparked by US President Donald Trump’s vows to seize Greenland and his often derisive remarks about US allies, Washington’s top diplomat struck a markedly soothing tone. “We do not seek to separate, but to revitalize an old friendship and renew the greatest civilization in human history,” Rubio said, calling for “a reinvigorated alliance.” “We want Europe to be strong,” Rubio said, adding that the continent and the US “belong together.” He echoed the Trump administration’s oft-stated assertion that immigration posed a threat, saying that “mass migration” was “a crisis which is transforming and destabilizing societies all across the West.” Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms He said that Europe and the US were “heirs to the same great and noble civilization” and that he hoped Europe, together with us are willing and able to defend it.” Attendees observe a moment of silence at the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) Rubio argued that the “euphoria” of the Western victory in the Cold War led to a “dangerous delusion that we had entered ‘the end of history,’ that every nation would now be a liberal democracy, that the ties formed by trade and by commerce alone would now replace nationhood … and that we would now live in a world without borders where everyone became a citizen of the world.” “We made these mistakes together and now together we owe it to our people to face those facts and to move forward to rebuild,” Rubio said. “This is why we Americans may sometimes come off as a little direct and urgent in our counsel,” he said. “This is why President Trump demands seriousness and reciprocity from our friends here in Europe.” Rubio: UN plays ‘no role’ in ending wars, including Gaza Shifting focus to the United Nations, Rubio sharply criticized the global forum for having “virtually no role” in resolving conflicts, and called for global institutions to be reformed. “The United Nations still has tremendous potential to be a tool for good in the world,” he told the Munich conference. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst) “But we cannot ignore that, today, on the most pressing matters before us, it has no answers and has played virtually no role,” he said. “It could not solve the war in Gaza,” he said. Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace was given a UN mandate to govern the war-ravaged Palestinian territory for two years, but many countries have expressed concerns that the board looks to usurp some of the UN’s power and become the main forum for solving global issues. Change in tone Aside from immigration and the UN, Rubio otherwise largely avoided the MAGA flashpoint and culture war issues that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Friday, had deepened a “rift” between US and Europe. Rubio said that an end of the trans-Atlantic era “is neither our goal nor our wish,” adding that “our home may be in the Western hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe.” He acknowledged that “we have bled and died side-by-side on battlefields from Kapyong to Kandahar,” a contrast with disparaging remarks by Trump about NATO allies’ troops in Afghanistan that drew an outcry. “And I’m here today to make 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 allies and our oldest friends.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, and Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz meet in Munich, Germany, February 13, 2026, at the Munich Security Conference. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool) Rubio’s speech marked a sharp contrast to that of US Vice President JD Vance a year ago, when he used the same stage to attack European policies on a range of issues, including free speech, shocking European allies. The Trump administration has also charged that Europe faced a “civilizational decline” and has courted far-right parties on the continent. Ties plunged last month when Trump stepped up threats to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark, forcing European nations to stand firm in protest. European security, Ukraine war European leaders at the Munich Security Conference have pledged to shoulder more of the burden of shared NATO defenses, saying this was essential for Europe to counter a hostile Russia. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told the gathering on Saturday that “Europe needs to step up and has to take on its responsibility” for its security, including closer ties with Britain 10 years after Brexit. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed the sentiment, saying “We must build our hard power, because that is the currency of the age,” calling for the building of “a shared industrial base across Europe which can turbocharge our defense production.” Also speaking at the conference was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Kyiv is set to mark five years of grueling war since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) on February 14, 2026 in Munich, southern Germany. (Alexandra BEIER / AFP) Zelensky decried that political efforts to end the war have not worked: “Weapons evolve faster than political decisions meant to stop them,” he said, calling for speedier arms deliveries for Ukraine’s Western-supplied air defense systems. He said that “there is not a single power plant in Ukraine that is not damaged by Russian strikes” after Russia stepped up its attacks on infrastructure over the past few months, as the coldest snap since the war started in February 2022 hit the country. “No one in Ukraine believes (Russian President Vladimir Putin) will ever let our people go, but he will not let other European nations go either, because he cannot let go of the very idea of war,” Zelensky warned. At the White House on Friday, Trump urged Kyiv to “get moving” to end the war. “Russia wants to make a deal… He has to move,” the US leader said. But Rubio said on Saturday that “We don’t know if the Russians are serious about ending the war.” EU says speech ‘very reassuring,’ some leaders unconvinced EU top diplomat von der Leyen said Rubio’s speech was “very reassuring” but noted that “in the administration, some have a harsher tone on these topics.” In her speech to the conference, she stressed that “Europe must become more independent,” including on defense. She insisted on Europe’s “digital sovereignty” — its approach to hate speech on social media. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen takes part in a panel discussion during the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) on February 14, 2026 in Munich, southern Germany. (Stefan Rousseau / POOL / AFP) UK leader Starmer said that “we shouldn’t get in the warm bath of complacency,” saying the UK must re-forge closer ties with Europe to help the continent “stand on our own two feet” in its own defense, and said there needs to be investment that “moves us from overdependence to interdependence.” Hanno Pevkur, the defense minister of EU and NATO member Estonia, said it was “quite a bold statement to say that America is ‘a child of Europe’.” “It was a good speech, needed here today, but that doesn’t mean that we can rest on pillows now,” he told The Associated Press. “So still a lot of work has to be done.”