Heavy JD Vance vibes still hung in the air of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) on Saturday when US chief diplomat Marco Rubio decided to spare the transatlantic relationship a Valentine’s Day massacre. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she – and others in Europe – praised Rubio as “a good friend, a strong ally ... and very reassuring to listen to”. In a final pitch to his Munich audience, unlikely to be taken to heart by all, was that China and Europe are “partners, not rivals”. Risking the wrath of the British opposition and right-wing press, Starmer insisted there was “no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain”. At the Munich Security Conference, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine's president, expressed frustration at how some promised European arms deliveries took 'months' or 'years' to arrive.

Source: The Irish Times February 15, 2026 10:31 UTC