Overview
- The 62nd Munich Security Conference ran Feb. 13–15 with senior officials and experts from Europe and the United States in attendance.
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told attendees the United States and Europe 'belong together' and called America 'a child of Europe,' a message European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described as reassuring.
- Reporting from the event highlighted a stronger European drive to derisk reliance on Washington and advance strategic autonomy.
- Several U.S. Democrats, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer and Ruben Gallego, drew criticism for campaign-style appearances, with Ocasio-Cortez singled out for an awkward exchange on Taiwan.
- Side discussions focused on concrete defense needs, including sanctioning Russian oil revenue, countering China, boosting 155mm artillery output, supplying Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles and scaling counter‑drone and air defenses.