A report in Financial Times reveals that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was scheduled to attend a meeting with European leaders on Friday afternoon, Feb. 13, in Munich, but canceled at the last minute. The Europeans saw the move as an insult, who were likely hoping to do their utmost to continue the war in Ukraine, despite fledgling efforts by the Trump administration to secure a peace agreement. One European official said the cancellation was “insane,” while another official said the meeting lacked substance without U.S. participation.
Further frustrating Brussels is the fact that Rubio will travel to Budapest to meet with Viktor Orban after leaving Munich. A senior State Department official said the visit was for further “strengthening” ties with a European country that shares the Trump administration’s vision for peace in Ukraine.
