Europe defends NATO, US ties at security gathering

MUNICH, Feb 13 (Agencies): European leaders strove to shore up relations with the United States and insisted they were strengthening their defences as they gathered for a security conference on Friday under heavy pressure from President Donald Trump.

Political and business leaders, military officers, and intelligence agents convened at two fortified hotels to talk international security and stability at the Munich Security Conference.

This year's event comes at a time of strained ties between Europe and the United States, after Trump threatened to take over Greenland and criticised European countries' record on immigration.

Russia's war against Ukraine, which is set to enter its fifth year this month, will be high on the agenda, alongside efforts by European NATO members to build up their defences.

European leaders ahead of the gathering defended their security commitments and vowed to strengthen NATO, after Trump called it into question and accused allies of not spending enough on defence.

Europe is "stepping up... taking more of a leadership role within NATO" and "taking more care of its own defence", the alliance's Secretary General Mark Rutte said at an event on transatlantic relations on the sidelines of the conference.

"A strong Europe in a strong NATO means that the transatlantic bond will be stronger than ever."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron were scheduled to address the first day of the conference on Friday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who arrived on Friday, is due to speak at the annual gathering on Saturday, as is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, organisers said.

Rubio is seen as a more conciliatory choice of envoy, a year after Vice President JD Vance used the same stage to attack European policies on immigration and free speech, shocking European allies.

Rubio also met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday on the sidelines of the conference, an AFP journalist said, at a time of heightened Washington-Beijing tensions.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spoken of a defining moment and a "new era" as he travels to Europe for a major speech to the Munich Security Conference.

Rubio will lead the US delegation at the first major global event since President Donald Trump threatened Danish sovereignty with a pledge to annex Greenland.

French President Emmanuel Macron has insisted Europe must prepare for independence from the US, while Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has stressed that transatlantic bonds are as close and important as ever.

The war in Ukraine, tensions with China and a potential nuclear deal between Iran and the US are also on the agenda as the security conference gets under way.

"The world is changing very fast right in front of us," Rubio told reporters, when asked if his message to Europeans would be more conciliatory than a year ago.

"We live in a new era in geopolitics, and it's going to require all of us to sort of re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be."

At last year's conference, US Vice-President JD Vance attacked Europe, including the UK, for policies on free speech and immigration. His speech triggered a year of unprecedented transatlantic tension.

Some 50 world leaders are set to attend this year's event, where European defence and the future of the transatlantic relationship will be discussed at a time when US commitments to Nato have been called into question.