U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled a meeting with political leaders from Germany, France, Poland, and the European Commission at the last minute, citing a busy schedule, the Financial Times reported.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled a meeting with European leaders regarding Russia's war against Ukraine at the last minute, the British newspaper Financial Times reported on Friday, February 13, citing sources, as noted by DW. According to the report, Rubio was supposed to participate in negotiations with representatives from Germany, France, Poland, and the leadership of the European Commission in Munich, where an international security conference is taking place.
An unnamed U.S. official explained Rubio's refusal by the "number of meetings he had scheduled at the same time" in Munich. Another source from the publication, a European official, called the cancellation of the meeting "insane." According to FT, Rubio's decision, in the opinion of Europeans, indicates a "diminishing interest from Washington" in the EU's efforts to end the Russian-Ukrainian war.
FT Source: Without the U.S., Negotiations Were "Devoid of Substance"
One of the European sources from the publication stated after the meeting that without the participation of the U.S. Secretary of State, the negotiations among Europeans were "devoid of substance." At the same time, it was reported that Marco Rubio held a separate meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. According to Merz, the central topics of discussion were Ukraine and the status of its peace negotiations with Russia. Additionally, Rubio praised Germany's efforts to strengthen NATO, according to the Financial Times.
The U.S. Secretary of State's speech at the Munich Security Conference is scheduled for February 14. It is also expected that on the same day, Marco Rubio will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, although Rubio himself is "not 100 percent sure" that this meeting will take place.
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