On Saturday, February 14th, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a speech at the Munich Security Conference, emphasizing the transatlantic partnership, which was met with positive responses from some European allies.
In his remarks, Pompeo recounted the historical ties between the United States and Europe, positioning the United States as the “son of Europe” and conveying a message of unity. He emphasized that even when there are differences between the US and Europe, they stem from the profound concern the US holds for Europe’s future. The US hopes for a strong Europe and will always be a friend to Europe, supporting European allies in their self-defense so that “no enemy would dare to challenge our collective strength.”
His speech garnered a standing ovation from attendees and received positive feedback from some European allies.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, remarked, “Secretary Pompeo’s speech has been very reassuring to me. We understand him as a good friend and a strong ally… Hearing his words brings me comfort. We know that some voices in this government [referring to the US government] have been more assertive on these issues, but Secretary of State’s position is very clear. He said, ‘We want a strong Europe in this alliance,’ and that is exactly what we are striving for in the EU.”
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot commented, “References to our common heritage by Secretary Pompeo undoubtedly earned applause in Europe. The second point he raised, in my opinion, is crucial and aligns well with the views of European countries, that some challenges cannot be faced alone by any country, no matter how powerful or wealthy.”
“Will this change our strategy? Of course not. Because, as you know, what we heard today, we have heard in the past, whether it was from a Democratic or Republican government. To establish a strong and independent Europe. We will have a strong and independent Europe,” said Barrot.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said, “This is exactly the speech I expected to hear from Secretary Pompeo. We know him as a true partner… The message conveyed by Secretary Pompeo is very clear, that we must uphold our rules-based international order, primarily referring to the United Nations. This is our peace commission. We hope it remains so. Of course, as Pompeo mentioned this morning, we also need to reform it and make it more effective.”
“For me, the most important phrase from Pompeo’s speech is ‘let’s join hands again.’ So he is looking forward to it, which is great,” Wadephul added.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen remarked, “I am very pleased with the tone of Pompeo’s speech, and I believe its content largely meets our European expectations. He emphasized multiple times that we must stand united and firmly defend our values. We are committed to the international community and international law.”
This article was referenced from Reuters’ report.