U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is slated to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the Munich Security Conference, beginning Friday, as part of a broader European tour that will likewise include stops in Budapest, and Bratislava. Rubio, leading the American delegation, signaled a shift in geopolitical strategy and a reevaluation of transatlantic relations.
Rubio, speaking to reporters before departing Washington, asserted that the established international order has fundamentally changed. “We’re living in a new era of geopolitics, which will require all of us to rethink what that looks like and what our role will be,” he stated, according to Reuters. The upcoming Munich Security Conference is intended to be a forum for defining a shared future with European allies, with European leaders seeking clarity on U.S. Objectives and collaborative goals.
A meeting with Zelenskyy appears highly probable. “I think I’m on the schedule. I’m pretty confident we’ll have a chance to see each other,” Rubio said, as reported by TVN24. Zelenskyy is scheduled to receive the Ewald von Kleist Award at the conference, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk delivering the laudation, according to conference organizers.
Rubio’s trip also includes a visit to Hungary and Slovakia, described as bilateral engagements resulting from prior invitations. He emphasized that both countries are “particularly strong in our alliance” and maintain close cooperation with the United States. When questioned about potential pressure on Hungary to cease purchasing Russian energy, Rubio offered a diplomatic response: “We’ll talk to them about what needs to be done,” declining to elaborate on the specifics of private discussions.
The Secretary of State condemned ongoing Russian bombardments as causing “unimaginable suffering,” particularly during the winter months. “It’s terrible. It’s a war. That’s why we want the war to end,” Rubio said, noting that U.S. Diplomats have been working for over a year to achieve a resolution to the conflict.
Rubio will meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday, and is scheduled to deliver remarks at the conference on Saturday, according to the Associated Press. More than 50 members of the U.S. Congress are accompanying Rubio on the trip. Last year, then-Vice President J.D. Vance represented the U.S. At the conference, delivering a speech that sparked considerable controversy.
The focus of Rubio’s visit, according to U.S. Officials, is to strengthen cooperation with Europe regarding the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, as reported by Polsat News. The conference agenda will address shifts in the global order, transatlantic relations, the conflict in Iran, and the war in Ukraine.