Tense

I also will not take NATO membership for Ukraine off the table. But right now, the most influential member of NATO seems to be Putin—because his whims have the power to block NATO decisions. That’s despite the fact that it was Ukraine’s army that stopped Russia—not a NATO country, not NATO troops, but only our people and army.

We are already working to ensure that on February 24, the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, we can gather together in Kyiv and online. All European leaders. All key partners who defend our security. From Spain to Finland. From Britain to Poland. From Washington to Tokyo.

No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine. No decisions about Europe without Europe. Europe must have a seat at the table when decisions about its future are made—anything else is nothing. If we are left out of negotiations about our own future, we all lose.

Yesterday, here in Munich, the U.S. Vice President made it clear: the old relationship between Europe and America is ending. From now on, things will be different, and Europe needs to adjust.

At the Munich Security Conference, I emphasized that European policy must not just be promising—it must make America want to stand with a strong Europe. Europe must decide its own future with confidence in its strength so that others have no choice but to respect its power.