It was still a wrecking ball, albeit one wrapped in chocolate and warm fuzzies.
The febrile applause US Secretary of State Marco Rubio received at the Munich Security Conference when he said the US was Europe’s “child” and their fates would always be “intertwined” belied his stark policy message. These were claps of relief and encouragement from a European audience bracing for a mauling like JD Vance’s onslaught last year.
But Vance’s false accusations at last year’s conference – that Europe is suppressing freedom of speech and democracy, and facing civilizational decline – are now enshrined in US national security strategy. Rubio did not have to do much to sound friendly.
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