MUNICH (AP) 鈥� A top European Union official on Sunday rejected the notion that Europe faces 鈥渃ivilizational erasure,鈥� pushing back at criticism of the continent by the Trump administration.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas addressed the Munich Security Conference a day after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered to European allies. He struck a less aggressive tone than Vice President JD Vance did in at the same gathering last year but maintained a firm tone on Washington’s intent to reshape the trans-Atlantic alliance and push its policy priorities.
Kallas alluded to criticism in the U.S. released in December, which asserted that economic stagnation in Europe 鈥渋s eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure.” It suggested that Europe is being enfeebled by its immigration policies, declining birth rates, 鈥渃ensorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition鈥� and a 鈥渓oss of national identities and self-confidence.鈥�
鈥淐ontrary to what some may say, woke, decadent Europe is not facing civilizational erasure,鈥� Kallas told the conference. 鈥淚n fact, people still want to join our club and not just fellow Europeans,鈥� she added, saying she was told when visiting Canada last year that many people there have an interest in joining the EU.
Kallas rejected what she called 鈥淓uropean-bashing.鈥�
鈥淲e are, you know, pushing humanity forward, trying to defend human rights and all this, which is actually bringing also prosperity for people. So that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 very hard for me to believe these accusations.鈥�
In his conference speech, Rubio said that an end to the trans-Atlantic era 鈥渋s neither our goal nor our wish,鈥� adding that 鈥渙ur home may be in the Western hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe.鈥�
He made clear that the Trump administration is sticking to its guns on issues such as migration, trade and climate. And European officials who addressed the gathering made clear that they in turn their values, including their approach to free speech, climate change and free trade.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday that Europe must defend 鈥渢he vibrant, free and diverse societies that we represent, showing that people who look different to each other can live peacefully together, that this isn鈥檛 against the tenor of our times.”
“Rather, it is what makes us strong,鈥� he said.
Kallas said Rubio’s speech sent an important message that America and Europe are and will remain intertwined.
鈥淚t is also clear that we don鈥檛 see eye to eye on all the issues and this will remain the case as well, but I think we can work from there,鈥� she said.
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Moulson reported from Berlin. Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.
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