Sergiy Korsunsky, Ukraine's former Ambassador to Japan, warned European leaders against premature optimism following U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech at the Munich Security Conference. Speaking during a broadcast with political analyst Yuriy Romanenko, the diplomat suggested that a rigid isolationist course from the Trump administration lies beneath the more moderate rhetoric.
Commenting on the reaction of European leaders who "breathed a sigh of relief" after Rubio's remarks, Korsunsky noted they are mistaken to believe the threat has passed. "Europeans exhaled as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. I think they rejoiced a bit prematurely. Rubio indeed said many of the right things in a much softer manner than Vance," the former ambassador observed.
However, he emphasized that official documents, not speeches, define Washington's foreign policy. "One must read the documents. The approved documents exist... and in a specific course, it is clearly written: 'Now it is every man for himself. Guys, Europe is your problem; deal with Europe. Our focus is the Western Hemisphere—that is ours,'" Korsunsky stressed.
The diplomat explained that this shift in the U.S. vector is causing serious concern in the Asia-Pacific region, where the security situation is arguably more complex than in Europe. "In Asia, this is perceived very painfully because the situation there is no better than in Europe. In Europe, there is only Russia, but there, you also have China and North Korea," he explained.
According to Korsunsky, even more moderate representatives of the American administration, such as Rubio, are compelled to follow Trump’s general line, which entails a retreat from global responsibility. "He [Rubio] still understands what is happening and the importance of ties. But even he cannot deviate from the policy preached by Trump. And Trump preaches the localization of security and moving forward," Sergiy Korsunsky concluded.
