European reaction to Rubio’s speech on transatlantic ties at Munich Security Conference

BERLIN, Feb 14 (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast the United States as the “child of Europe” in a message of unity on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference, offering some reassurance as well as more criticism to allies after a year of strained ties.

This is the European reaction to his keynote speech at the annual gathering of political and military leaders:

EU COMMISSION CHIEF URSULA VON DER LEYEN

“I was very much reassured by the speech of the Secretary of State. We know him. He’s a good friend, a strong ally … and this was, for me, very reassuring to listen to him. We know that in the administration, some have a harsher tone on these topics. But the Secretary of State was very clear. He said ‘We want strong Europe in the Alliance’, and this is what we are working for intensively in the European Union.” 

FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER JEAN-NOEL BARROT

“Referring to (our) common legacy can only be welcomed with applause in Europe. The second thing that Secretary Rubio mentioned that I think is also very important and that is very consistent with the view of European countries is that some challenges cannot be addressed by a single nation, as powerful and as rich as it may be … 

“Is it going to change our strategy? Of course not. Because, you know, what we’re hearing today, we heard already in the past, and we heard this from Democratic administrations, Republican administrations. Build a strong and independent Europe. We will deliver a strong and independent Europe. Independent, of course, irrespective of the speeches that we hear at the Munich Security Conference, however right they may be.”

GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER JOHANN WADEPHUL

“This was the speech I expected from Secretary Rubio. We know that he is a true partner … I would say (it was) a very clear message from Secretary Rubio that we have…to stay and stick to our international rules-based order, which is, of course, in first line the United Nations. This is our Board of Peace. And we want to keep it like that. We have, of course, to reform it. We have to make it more effective, as Rubio said this morning.

“And the most important sentence for me was ‘let’s do it again’. So he was looking forward. This is good.”

FINNISH FOREIGN MINISTER ELINA VALTONEN

“I am very satisfied with the tone and I also think that the content was largely what we here in Europe expected. He said so many times, that we must stand together and be strong for our values. We are, of course, very strongly committed to the international community and to international law.”

(Editing by Sarah Marsh)