Rubio reassures Europe’s leaders of US backing – but only if they change course | CNN
Secretary of State Marco Rubio applied a velvet glove to the Trump administration’s still-clenched fist during his high-profile speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, offering some reassurance to uneasy European leaders that the US remains committed to their long-standing partnership but without backing away from its underlying demand that they change course on a number of fronts.
Rubio’s message that Washington is not looking to abandon the transatlantic alliance was well-received by European allies in the audience who just one year ago sat stone-faced as Vice President JD Vance stood at the same podium and delivered a broadly false desecration of Europe’s culture and values.
The top US diplomat twice received applause when he evoked Europe and the US’ shared histories — saying America is a “child” of Europe with the continents’ fates “intertwined.”
But Rubio’s message was still stark. It carried a warning from the Trump administration that it would “do this alone” unless Europe assumes more responsibility for its own security and shares the same values as the US — a shift that requires reforming the current system of international cooperation.
“We want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength,” Rubio said.
“For we in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline. We do not seek to separate but to revitalize an old friendship,” he added.
US President Donald Trump, shown at the Fort Bragg US Army base on February 13, has regularly condemned European leaders for relying too heavily on US security assistance.
Nathan Howard/Getty Images
President Donald Trump has often criticized Europe for relying too heavily on US assistance, particularly when it comes to security, and demanded that NATO allies increase defense spending.
More broadly, Trump has also vowed to disrupt the international status quo and, one year into his second term, has done exactly that at remarkable speed.
Rubio’s speech comes as US allies have increasingly grown concerned and questioned whether the country intends to abandon its partnership with Europe due to Trump’s threats of retaliatory tariffs, bid to take over Greenland and pullback of international aid.
Vance’s speech at last year’s Munich Security Conference exacerbated concerns as he vented to European leaders, telling them the biggest threat to their security came “from within,” rather than from China and Russia — remarks that have formed the White House’s black-and-white national security strategy.
Vance’s words were still ringing in the ears of European officials as they arrived this week in Munich, where many have focused on the end of the US-led international order — one of the few points of agreement between Washington and its NATO allies.
“A divide has opened up between Europe and the United States,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday ahead of Rubio’s speech.
“The United States’ claim to leadership has been challenged, and possibly lost,” he said.
Rubio acknowledged as much on Thursday as he departed for Munich, telling reporters that “the old world is gone, frankly” and that “we live in a new era in geopolitics.”
He delivered a similar message during the speech on Saturday, though with a softer touch.
“While we are prepared, if necessary, to do this alone, it is our preference and it is our hope to do this together with you, our friends here in Europe,” Rubio told the audience in Munich.
“For the United States and Europe, we belong together,” Rubio added, emphasizing the importance of the long partnership, which has come under intense strain.
Rubio acknowledged that the US can, at times, be somewhat “direct and urgent in our counsel,” but sought to reassure European leaders that the Trump administration is committed to the alliance.
“We want allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilization, and who together with us are willing and able to defend it,” he said.
Vance complimented Rubio’s remarks, writing on social media, “This is a great speech. Worth watching the whole thing.”
Rubio’s tone was in stark contrast to that used by Vance a year ago. But the message to Europe was the same: Reform, or you’re on your own.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Trump Signs Order Expediting Drugs for Mental Health Treatment
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Saturday that he said “directs the FDA to expedite their review of certain psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs.” A primary objective of the order is to speed treatment for veterans.
“The executive order I’m signing, we’re actually signing the executive order today, is really a moment,” Trump said. “These treatments are currently in the advanced stages of clinical trials to ensure that they’re both safe and effective for the American patients.”
The president said the executive order would implement “historic reforms to dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs.” Citing the elevated veteran suicide rate, the president added: “In many cases, these experimental treatments have shown life-changing potential for those suffering from severe mental illness and depression, including our cherished veterans.”
“And the nice part is we’re actually doing this early, but it has been going on. Research has been going on for quite some time. But, you know, usually with things like this, nothing ever happens, no matter how the research ends up, but we’re changing that. This order will clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA approved,” Trump continued.
The president said “in 2024, a study from Stanford University, 30 special operation veterans with traumatic brain injuries underwent — it’s called ibogaine treatment — ibogaine, remember the name,” noting that they “experienced an 80 to 90% reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”
“In Texas, Republican leaders have already committed $50 million to the ibogaine research. And today, the federal government is making a $50 million research investment in its own. And so that was just approved just last night,” Trump announced.
“We’re also opening a pathway for ibogaine to be administered to desperately ill patients under the right to try law,” Trump said.
“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life, just lead a happier life,” he added.
Two weeks ago, Trump signed a sweeping executive order aimed at tightening federal oversight of election integrity, directing multiple agencies to expand voter eligibility verification and impose new controls on mail-in ballots.
The order, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” outlines a series of measures that would increase coordination between federal agencies and state election officials, while also establishing new procedures for how ballots are distributed and tracked through the mail system.
At the core of the directive is a requirement that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), working with the Social Security Administration (SSA), compile and transmit lists of individuals confirmed to be U.S. citizens to state election authorities. These “State Citizenship Lists” would be generated using federal databases, including immigration and Social Security records, and updated regularly ahead of federal elections.
According to the order, the lists are intended to help states verify voter eligibility, though inclusion on the list would not automatically register an individual to vote. State laws and procedures would still govern registration requirements.
The order also calls for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritize investigations and potential prosecutions related to election law violations. This includes cases involving the distribution of ballots to individuals deemed ineligible to vote, as well as any actors—public or private—who may be involved in producing or sending such ballots.
In a significant expansion of federal involvement in mail voting procedures, the directive instructs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to develop new rules governing the handling of mail-in and absentee ballots. Within 60 days, the Postmaster General is required to initiate a rulemaking process that would standardize ballot tracking and verification measures nationwide.
Under the proposed framework, all mail-in ballots would be required to use specially marked envelopes designated as official election mail. These envelopes must include unique tracking barcodes and meet specific design standards set by USPS to ensure compatibility with automated processing systems.
Trump Says He’s in No Hurry to Make Deal With Iran
The president gave an update on negotiations between Washington and Tehran in a weekend interview.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on March 26, 2026 in Washington. This is Trump's second Cabinet meeting of 2026 and the first since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on Feb. 28, 2026. Chip Somodevilla/Getty U.S. President Donald Trump, in an interview published on May 30, said that he is in no hurry to make a deal with Iran to end the war, saying that neither Washington nor Tehran has signed an agreement yet.
“I’d like to say I’m in a hurry because gasoline prices are going to come tumbling down, but if you’re going to be in a hurry, you’re not going to make a good deal,” Trump told Fox News. “And slowly but surely we’re getting, I think, what we want, and if we don’t get what we want, we’re going to end it a different way.”
For weeks, the United States and Iran have been working to come to an agreement that would end the war, which started in February, as the conflict remains in a ceasefire. On May 29, Trump released the terms of a deal with Tehran and said he would be making a final decision soon.
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Along with demanding that Iran not obtain a nuclear weapon, Trump said in a post on Truth Social that the Strait of Hormuz must be opened “in both directions” and that Tehran must “complete the immediate removal and/or detonation of any mines that are left.”
Since the start of the conflict, the strait has effectively remained shut down, sending oil and gas prices surging, as the strait allows for the transit of about a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas. As of May 31, gas prices in the United States averaged $4.34 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.
A White House official told The Epoch Times on May 29 that a White House meeting in the Situation Room on Iran lasted approximately two hours. No details were provided.
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Iran on May 31 claimed that the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down a U.S. military drone that entered its airspace, in comments carried by state-run Tasnim News. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has not publicly commented on the incident.
A top Iranian official, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also said on May 31 that Tehran’s military force is “pushing back the enemy in a great and history-making war,” referring to the United States, according to state-run media. He also claimed that the United States has retreated from the conflict while pushing a narrative of unity in the Iranian regime.
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In his May 29 post on Truth Social, Trump also wrote that mines would be removed from the strait and that ships trapped there may start to go home.
“Say HELLO to your wives, husbands, parents, and families from me, your favorite President!” he said.
On May 30, War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States would restart attacks against Iran if no deal can be reached and that the military’s ammunition stockpiles are being replenished.
“Our ability to recommence if necessary ... we are more than capable,” Hegseth told reporters in Singapore. “Our stockpiles are more than suited for that, both there and around the globe, so we’re in a very good place.”
The Pentagon head said that Trump was “patient” and that the president wants to make a “great deal” that ensures that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
Reuters contributed to this report.
