Rubio warns Europe of new era in geopolitics before big Munich speech

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that the world is entering a defining new phase in global politics, as he arrived in Europe to lead the American delegation at the Munich Security Conference.

Speaking before delivering a major address at the gathering, Rubio described the moment as a turning point for international relations, saying shifting alliances and rising tensions were forcing nations to rethink their roles on the global stage.

“The world is changing very fast right in front of us,” he told reporters. “We live in a new era in geopolitics, and it’s going to require all of us to sort of re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be.”

The conference marks the first major global forum since President Donald Trump renewed calls for the US to annex Greenland — a move widely viewed in Europe as a direct challenge to Danish sovereignty and a strain on long-standing alliances.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Europe to prepare for greater strategic independence from Washington, while Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasised that transatlantic ties remain strong and essential despite growing tensions.

This year’s conference, which opened on Friday, is expected to focus heavily on the war in Ukraine, strategic rivalry with China and the prospect of a new nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz used his opening remarks to call for renewed cooperation between Europe and the US, appealing for both sides to “repair and revive transatlantic trust together”.

Merz also disclosed that confidential discussions were under way with Macron on the possibility of a joint European nuclear deterrent — a significant step for a continent where only France and the UK possess nuclear weapons, while many others traditionally rely on the US nuclear umbrella within Nato.

Around 50 world leaders are attending the conference, where the future of European defence and the transatlantic partnership is under close scrutiny amid questions about Washington’s long-term commitment to the alliance.

Tensions have been further heightened by Trump’s repeated assertions that Greenland is vital to US national security. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed she plans to meet Rubio to address the issue directly, as European leaders increasingly see the dispute as a watershed moment in relations with the United States.

In the lead-up to the summit, eight former US ambassadors to Nato and eight former American supreme commanders in Europe issued an open letter urging Washington to sustain its support for the alliance. They argued that Nato is “far from being a charity”, describing it instead as a strategic force multiplier that enhances US influence in ways that would otherwise be difficult or costly to achieve.