This weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a large U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference to address the United States’s role in the world and the state of trans-Atlantic relationships.
Since the day President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office, tensions with our European allies have been a major media focus. Trump has attempted to reset trade relationships to restore balance, worked to end the war in Ukraine, and encouraged Europe to take its own security more seriously.
There are three themes that national security experts told the Washington Reporter to expect to see prioritized during the conference.
The first is Trump’s wins for European security. In the weeks leading up to the conference, European leaders emphasized the importance of building up their own security capabilities, expressing concerns that they can no longer rely on America as they once did. French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to “start acting like a world power,” adding, “The U.S. — which we thought would guarantee our security forever — is no longer sure…We Europeans are on our own. But we have each other.”
While some European leaders treat this shift as a disappointing setback, many American policymakers argue that this has been the goal for decades: encouraging Europe to take its own defense more seriously.
“This is exactly what President Trump and so many Americans have been calling for,” one foreign policy expert told the Reporter. “For years, America has carried the financial burden of defending the West, while many European allies prioritized expansive social programs and struggled to address the challenges associated with mass migration. With growing threats from Russia, China, Iran, and instability within Europe itself, a stronger and more self-reliant Europe is ultimately good for everyone.”
The next area is familiar and comfortable terrain for Vice President JD Vance. One year ago at this same conference, Vance drew global attention when he said that “the threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor… it’s the threat from within — the retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.”
Since then, critics have pointed to a series of high-profile incidents across Europe involving arrests and crackdowns related to speech — from a 60 Minutes segment highlighting late-night arrests over social media posts criticizing elected officials to reports from the U.K. of arrests for online content such as retweets and cartoons.
“The reason Vice President Vance’s remarks were so important is that they highlighted a growing divergence in what were long considered shared Western values,” a source close to the Trump administration told the Reporter. “The free-speech crackdown we’re seeing in Europe won’t stay in Europe. European regulators and leaders are already attempting to apply these standards to Americans and American companies.”
Finally, Europe watchers expect the Americans and Europeans to address a series of trade-shaped elephants in the room. One mechanism European regulators have used to pressure American companies is non-tariff regulatory measures, such as the Digital Services Act (DSA), which has been covered extensively by the Reporter.
Late last year, reports surfaced that the EU was considering issuing a significant fine to Elon Musk’s X for “breaching its obligations around transparency and blue checkmarks.”
Vance responded by, saying that “rumors swirling that the EU Commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship. The EU should be supporting free speech, not attacking American companies.”
The DSA is just one component of a broader digital regulatory framework that critics argue constrains American innovation. Other measures include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires companies to comply with extensive data-handling mandates and has resulted in billions of dollars in fines for U.S. firms.
Additionally, proposals such as the “Digital Networks Act” would allow European regulators to impose new network fees on American cloud and digital infrastructure providers, raising concerns about conflicts with existing U.S.–EU trade agreements.
“We constantly hear Europe criticizing President Trump’s tough trade posture,” one trade expert said to the Reporter. “But many Americans don’t realize how significant these regulatory barriers have become. The EU collects substantial fines from U.S. tech firms while competitors from China often face far less scrutiny. With policies like these, it’s fair to ask whether the transatlantic economic relationship remains balanced.”
“The Munich Security Conference could serve as a major stage for defining the next phase of the U.S.–Europe relationship,” one foreign policy veteran predicted. “From defense spending and strategic autonomy to free speech and digital regulation, the debates unfolding in Munich reflect deeper questions about shared values and mutual obligations. As Secretary Rubio outlines the administration’s vision, the central issue will be whether transatlantic partners can recalibrate their relationship in a way that strengthens both sides in an increasingly competitive global landscape.”
