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Feb. 14, 2026, 2:35 a.m. ET

Jim Tankersley

Reporting from Munich

Here’s the latest.

European leaders spent the first day of the annual Munich Security Conference sketching new visions for the trans-Atlantic alliance, one that relies less on America for defense and commerce, and acknowledges that Europe and the United States no longer share some core values.

On Saturday, they’ll hear what the Trump administration makes of all that.

Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, will speak to open the second day of the conference, after meeting with several leaders in Munich on Friday.

European leaders are hoping for a relatively friendly address from Mr. Rubio, whom they largely praise as a constructive partner in security matters, despite Mr. Trump’s differences with Europe. The leaders are not bracing for anything like the scolding they received last year at the gathering from Vice President JD Vance, who criticized Europeans for sidelining far-right parties.