Rubio says US and Europe 'belong together' despite tensions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has assured European leaders the US does not plan to abandon the transatlantic alliance, saying its destiny "will always be intertwined" with the continent's.

He told the Munich Security Conference: "We do not seek to separate, but to revitalise an old friendship and renew the greatest civilisation in human history."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was "very much reassured" by Rubio's remarks.

Rubio, the Trump administration's most senior diplomat, said it was "neither our goal nor our wish" to end the transatlantic partnership, adding: "For us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe.

"And I am here today to leave it clear that America is charting the path for a new century of prosperity, and that once again we want to do it together with you, our cherished allies and our oldest friends."

However, he repeated several criticisms repeatedly levelled at Europe by the Trump administration, including describing immigration policies as a threat to civilisation, and saying a "climate cult" had taken over economic policy.

On trade, he said Europe and the US had "made mistakes together" by adopting a "dogmatic vision of free and unfettered trade".

He repeated familiar calls from the US for Europe to invest more in defence, saying: "We want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength."

In response, Von der Leyen said: "[Rubio is] a good friend, a strong ally. And this was, for me, very reassuring to listen to him."

She continued: "We want a strong Europe. And this is, I think, the message of today."

Elsewhere in his half-hour address, Rubio said the system of international co-operation "must be rebuilt" and singled out the UN for particular criticism, saying it had "played virtually no role" in resolving the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts.

Later, Rubio said the US did not know if the "Russians are serious about ending the war", before adding: "But we're going to continue to test it."

Speaking later on Saturday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky told the conference that no one in Ukraine believed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would leave the country alone, describing the Russian leader as a "slave to war".

He has come under pressure from the White House to hold presidential elections, which have been suspended while the country is under martial law.

Asked about a Financial Times report that his administration is planning for elections as soon as May, Zelensky said the report had been "something new to me," and repeated that "nobody supports elections during the war".

He said that Ukraine would need "two months of ceasefire" and "security infrastructure" in order to safely conduct elections.