U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead a sizeable U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference starting on Friday, underscoring the importance of transatlantic relations despite a “crisis of trust”, the head of the forum said.
Wolfgang Ischinger, the former diplomat who chairs the annual gathering of security experts and policymakers, said more than 50 members of the U.S. Congress were expected, including Democratic U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Fifteen prime ministers or heads of state from the European Union will also attend the conference, which German Chancellor Friedrich Merz will open on Friday and continues until Sunday, he said.
“At the moment, transatlantic relations are, in my view, in a considerable crisis of trust and credibility,” Ischinger told a press conference on Monday in Berlin.
“That is why it is particularly gratifying that the American side is showing such strong interest in Munich.”
At last year’s conference, U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused European leaders of censoring free speech and failing to control immigration.
Rubio is expected to deliver a speech on Saturday. Asked whether he expected a similar attack from Rubio, Ischinger said he assumed Rubio would speak about U.S. foreign policy and “not about issues that do not directly fall within his portfolio”.
