Landsbergis: Europe, Look to Thyself

If Europe hopes to find inspiration and security from others it is destined for disappointment, says Lithuania’s former Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

I left this year’s Munich Security Conference in a mood which diplomats would describe as “thoughtful.” We could call this progress, since my mood in previous years was famously gloomy.

The highlight was US Secretary of State Mark Rubio’s February 14 speech.

Opinions differ on whether this represented an outstretched hand to Europe and an invitation to converse, or just the same signaling but wrapped in fancy paper. Whichever side of that debate you are on, I think it’s a sideshow. 

Consider this: While Europeans discuss what the latest American speech means, I don’t believe many Americans are discussing the speeches given by Europeans.

The meaning is clear — Europe is once again on the receiving end of a strategy imposed by others.

The current US administration has a very clear view of what “Western alliance” means, and that’s more aligned with the views of their President’s electorate than with those of the average European.

So even if the Rubio speech was indeed a call for conversation, it might be very short-lived. Europeans believe in individual freedoms, in free trade, believe that the countries constituting the European Union are sovereign, at most trust in climate science.

And if things are not working, Europeans tend to fix them via elections and smarter decisions, not revolutions — the current German administration took measures to curb migration, and others are doing likewise, and the European Commission is reversing some of its more extreme regulations. Europeans don’t feel like they are in civilizational decline. What they witness on their streets is very different from what some Americans see on sensationalist YouTube channels.

And we Europeans really do still believe in values. Values including democracy, the rule of law, and territorial integrity. Since the tragedies of World War II, a common understanding of these values has brought us together as a peaceful community. After centuries of war, we tend to jealously guard the values that brought us historically high levels of prosperity and stability.

Nobody forced the people of Europe to support Ukraine, or to receive millions of Ukrainian refugees, to raise billions of euros for Ukraine, or to vote for politicians who support Ukraine. But they overwhelmingly did, even though Russia’s TikTok influencers and Facebook fake accounts tried very hard to stop them.

So I don’t think that Europeans should preach, panic, or despair about the changes in the values of those running the United States. Every country is free to choose its worldview. The US has made its choice, and it isn’t asking for Europe’s input in its decision-making.

The corollary is that Europeans are also free; free to protect their core democratic values from whoever tries to undermine and corrupt them. Free to point out differences in values, and to explain to electorates why these differences matter. 

Europe has to be ready to defend the values its vast majority holds dear. 

Europe has to be prepared to help defend other democracies anywhere in the world if they are under attack (and they always are).

Europe has to be ready to cooperate closely with those who share our values. 

Europe can, of course, cooperate with those who share our interests, but be mindful that interests do change — for example, trade can be made into a political weapon very quickly. Such pivots are less frequent when values are aligned.

Europe has to be ready to present its own version of the transatlantic agenda — a partnership, but without compromising on what is most important. And what is most important is values.

But can we achieve that?

There are still people upset and confused about the fact that Europe is not invited to the negotiations between the US, Russia, and Ukraine. But this, too, was a consequence of decisions Europe had made. It could have forced an invitation to such talks, but instead, leaders chose to dither and were then forced to accept other people’s decisions.

But it also needs to make the right decisions. For example, opening diplomatic channels to Putin would only produce yet another episode of European self-humiliation.

At some point, we must adopt solutions that actually work.

Europe is still sovereign, and still has its core values. Europeans have the capability to carpe diem, to seize the day and finally display all of our strength and resolve, at any time we choose. Europe also has the power to make strong and mutually beneficial alliances with those around the world who want to share our values.

I am thoughtfully suggesting we do all this sooner rather than later. That is the path to restoring our dignity while we still have the strength and values do so. We may not have that choice later on, when our influence in global affairs has declined further by our inaction, and things have become much worse.

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By Gabrielius Landsbergis. Gabrielius Landsbergis was the Minister Foreign Affairs of Lithuania from 2020-2024 and had previously been a member of parliament. Winner of the 2025 Magnitsky Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, he was born under Soviet occupation. He first tasted freedom as a child when the people of Lithuania, led by his grandfather Vytautas Landsbergis, faced Russian tanks to restore their independence. Beginning as a diplomat, he eventually won election to the European Parliament. Since leaving his political and diplomatic posts in 2024, he continues to leverage his communication skills to push back against despots and their collaborators. He also continues the conversation on social media and his own website landsbergis.com, where this article was first published. Article first time published on CEPA web page. Prepared for publication by volunteers from the Res Publica - The Center for Civil Resistance.