US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Slovakia prime minister Robert Fico in Bratislava. Fico told Rubio the EU is in 'deep crisis'. Photograph: Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty ImagesUS secretary of state Marco Rubio has named Slovakia and Hungary, headed by Trump-friendly leaders, as a “key component” in Washington’s future engagement with Europe. While EU leaders in Munich offered polite resistance, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico, who visited Trump last month in Florida, told Rubio in Bratislava that the EU was in “deep crisis”. Before leaving Munich, Rubio told Bloomberg that the Trump administration was still hopeful of reaching a peaceful settlement with Tehran.

Source: The Irish Times February 16, 2026 15:18 UTC