Europe aims to rely less on US

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reflected a feeling of profound change among European leaders at this weekend's Munich Security Conference when she said: "Some lines have been crossed that cannot be uncrossed anymore".



Transatlantic ties have already been strained over the past year by Donald Trump’s return to the White House.



But the U.S. president’s push to annex Greenland dramatically increased European doubts about ⁠Washington’s commitment to protect the continent through the NATO alliance.



U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered limited reassurance to Europeans in his conference speech.



Rubio said the U.S. wanted to work with Europe and used a warmer tone than Vice President JD Vance last year.



But he was critical of Europe's recent political course and did not mention NATO, Russia or Moscow’s war in Ukraine - issues on which a gulf has emerged between the U.S. and its partners in the alliance.



With the war about to enter its fifth year and Moscow viewed as an increasing threat by its European neighbours, leaders from the continent declared they would accelerate efforts to boost their own defences and rely less on the U.S.