The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that his Administration is proud of what they have done in Venezuela because it was necessary.
"Many countries did not like what we did in Venezuela. So what? We can still cooperate. Countries constantly express their opinions. We are proud of what we did because it was necessary. Venezuela is much better today than it was six weeks ago," Rubio said this Saturday from Slovakia.
During his European tour and his participation in the Munich Security Conference, Rubio has tried to restore the damaged relationship of recent months with his European allies following Trump's criticisms of NATO and his claims regarding Greenland.
Reactions to his speech in Munich
On Saturday, several leaders and high-ranking European officials reacted to Rubio's speech at the Munich Security Conference, where the head of U.S. diplomacy described his country as the "child of Europe."
Rubio delivered a message of unity that provided reassurance, but also new criticisms of allies after a year of strained relations.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that Rubio's speech "calmed her down a lot" and referred to him as a "good friend" and a "steadfast ally," emphasizing that it was "very reassuring" to hear him.
He also emphasized that Rubio was "very clear" in stating: "We want a strong Europe in the Alliance," something that, he assured, the European Union is working on "intensively."
The French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, stated that in Europe it can "only be applauded" that Rubio mentioned the "common legacy," and emphasized that the American noted that some challenges cannot be tackled by a single nation, no matter how powerful it may be.
Barrot added that the European strategy will not change and reiterated the goal of "building a strong and independent Europe."
For his part, the German Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, noted that Rubio delivered "the speech" he was expecting and described him as a "true ally."
He said that the message was clear about the need to remain faithful to the "rules-based international order," with the UN in the foreground, and emphasized the key phrase: "Let's do it again."
Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, expressed that she was "very satisfied" with the tone and considered that the content was largely what Europe expected: unity and firmness in defending values, as well as a commitment to the international community and international law.
On the eve of the speech, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also addressed Rubio in Munich, describing him as "a good friend" and adding that he will "certainly" continue to urge Europeans to take on a more prominent role within the Alliance.
Filed under: