Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders at Munich conference
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped a Berlin Format meeting on Ukraine held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 13.
Rubio was expected to join leaders from a dozen European countries—including Germany, Poland, and Finland—along with officials from the European Commission and NATO. However, the FT reported that he canceled at the last minute, citing scheduling conflicts.
"The secretary won't be attending the Berlin Format meeting on Ukraine given the number of meetings he has happening at the same time," a U.S. official told the outlet. "He's engaging on Russia-Ukraine in many of his meetings here in Munich."
One European official described the last-minute cancellation as "insane," while another told the FT that, without U.S. participation, the meeting lacked substance.
European officials were reportedly concerned by the timing, as the cancellation came amid broader tensions in the transatlantic relationship and growing worries that the United States is distancing itself from Europe.
Rubio separately met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to discuss Ukraine, the status of negotiations with Russia, and continued support—including military aid—for Kyiv. They also discussed broader transatlantic issues, including NATO and Europe's role within the alliance.
"In my meeting earlier today with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, we discussed our shared efforts to secure supply chains, advance efforts to end the Russia–Ukraine war, and strengthen the partnership between the United States and Europe," Rubio wrote on X after the meeting.
Rubio is also expected to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 14 in Munich before traveling to Budapest to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
