What we covered
• Rubio’s speech: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered some reassurance to uneasy European leaders at the Munich Security Conference, saying the US remains committed to their long-standing partnership.
• Underlying message: While Rubio’s tone stood in contrast to last year’s fiery address by Vice President JD Vance, he did not back down from underlying US demands that European countries change course on a number of fronts, including assuming more responsibility for their security. Watch CNN analysis here.
• Iran talks: Meanwhile, the US is planning to hold another round of meetings with Iranian officials on Tuesday in Geneva, sources tell CNN. Just yesterday, President Donald Trump sounded pessimistic about the ongoing nuclear talks and suggested regime change in Iran may be “the best thing that could happen.”
Our live coverage for Saturday has ended. You can read more about Rubio’s meetings in Europe in Sunday’s live updates.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calls Epstein files "horrifying"
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Saturday that “very troubling and really horrific information” is being revealed in the Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Justice Department.
Asked by a reporter at the Munich Security Conference how the alleged conduct of Western leaders in the files reflects on Western values, Clinton said, “It’s horrifying, and we’re hoping that, you know, there will be continued release every day that passes.”
The former secretary of state’s comments come as Europe has been roiled by the Epstein saga, with royals and government officials from multiple countries battling scandals.
Clinton noted, however, that just because someone’s name is in the files, doesn’t mean they’ve committed a crime.
She said the information “needs to be totally transparent” so people can “not only see what is in them, but also, if appropriate, hold people accountable.”
Some context: Former President Bill Clinton is among numerous high-profile names included in the Epstein files. Bill and Hillary Clinton are set to appear for depositions in the US House’s Epstein probe later this month, after months of back-and-forth.
Bill Clinton has repeatedly denied wrongdoing related to the late convicted sex offender. A spokesperson for Clinton has repeatedly said the former president cut ties with Epstein before the financier was charged with soliciting prostitution in 2006 and didn’t know about his crimes.
Trump seeks to end Ukraine war “once and for all,” Rubio says after Zelensky meeting
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump is seeking a definitive end to the Russia-Ukraine war after the US’ top diplomat met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.
The meeting comes ahead of planned trilateral talks in Geneva, Switzerland, as the Trump administration weighs its next steps in the nearly four-year conflict.
Rubio also highlighted a series of meetings with Nordic leaders during the conference, underscoring the Trump administration’s focus on defense spending, Arctic security and energy cooperation. The meetings came a few weeks after Trump said he reached a “framework of a future deal” on Greenland with the NATO secretary general.
Rubio wrote that he met with Finnish President Alexander Stubb “to thank Finland for pushing our Allies on defense spending commitments. The United States values Finland as a strategic partner in NATO and the Nordics,”
He added in a separate post that he met with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and “discussed Norway’s vital role in Arctic security and the strategic importance of Greenland. We look forward to partnering with Norway on supply chain security, including on critical minerals.”
Zelensky thanks US for “constructive approach” after meeting with Witkoff and Kushner
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United States and President Donald Trump for what he said was a “constructive approach” ahead of trilateral talks in Geneva aimed at ending the war with Russia.
“We greatly appreciate that America consistently maintains a constructive approach and is ready to assist in protecting lives,” Zelensky said today in a post on X, after meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, at the Munich Security Conference.
“We count on the meetings (in Geneva) being truly productive,” Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian president said the three also discussed his earlier meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where topics included the impact of attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the cold winter months.
Next round of Iran talks expected in Geneva next week, sources say
The next round of Iran talks are expected Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Both US special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to attend.
The talks come even as President Donald Trump struck a pessimistic tone yesterday when discussing ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran over a potential nuclear deal, saying the Iranians don’t have a good track record.
“I will say they want to talk, but so far, they do a lot of talking, no action,” Trump said.
He also suggested that regime change in the country would be “the best thing that could happen.” Trump asserted that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “obliterated” after US strikes on them last summer but urged the country to negotiate a deal with the United States in order to avoid a another potential military attack.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to Bloomberg News from the Munich Security Conference earlier today, echoed Trump, saying that reaching a deal was “very hard to do.”
The US has, in the meantime, dispatched a second aircraft carrier group to the Middle East, which the president said would be there in case he is unable to reach a diplomatic agreement.
CNN’s Aleena Fayaz contributed to this post.
Top EU diplomat says Rubio's speech was reassuring, despite remaining differences
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech today at the Munich Security Conference was reassuring amid a turbulent period in Europe-US relations, the EU’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, told CNN in an interview at the gathering.
Kallas noted the difference in tone from last year, when US Vice President JD Vance scolded European allies on the same stage.
Warning about chemical weapons: Kallas also spoke to CNN about security threats posed by Russia, saying Moscow is clearly “thinking” about and “exploring” the development and deployment of chemical weapons.
Those comments came after five European nations alleged today that Moscow had deployed a tropical poison to kill Alexey Navalny — a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin — in an arctic penal colony, where he died in February 2024.
It is not the first time the Kremlin has been accused of using chemical agents against its critics. It has also been accused of using the nerve agent Novichok to poison Navalny in 2020, and in an attack against the former Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England in 2018.
Kallas also briefly touched on the war in Ukraine, accusing Moscow of “pretending” to negotiate.
"Make Iran great again," protesters chant in Munich
German police say about 250,000 people gathered peacefully in Munich today, calling for the end of Iran’s current regime and expressing support for exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, Reuters news agency reports.
“Today we all come here from all around the world. We just have one thing to say: We want to make Iran great again, and we all come in from all different parts of Europe,” a protester told Reuters. “We want our Pahlavi, our shah, our king back,” she said, adding that the regime must change.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference yesterday, Pahlavi, the son of the Iran’s last shah, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that he has gladly “accepted the challenge” given to him by the people of Iran to lead the country through a democratic transition.
Remember: Mass protests in Iran this year have been met with a deadly government crackdown. President Donald Trump has ordered a US military buildup in the region and threatened to launch strikes against Tehran, though he’s so far stopped short of direct intervention.
Newsom seeks to assure Europe that Trump is temporary
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, speaking at a panel in Munich today, sought to cast President Donald Trump and his movement as a fleeting moment in US leadership on the world stage.
Newsom, a presumed 2028 presidential candidate, is among several elected Democrats at the Munich Security Conference who are seeking to counter Trump’s message and test their own foreign policy chops at the annual gathering.
“The MAGA movement is already fraying in the United States,” Newsom told the audience.
The governor, speaking on the same day that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the conference, said Rubio was exemplary of the “cult of personality” around Trump’s movement, given he was once a public critic of the president.
“(Rubio) was one of the most effective critics of Donald Trump in the United States of America. He should rewatch his own videos,” Newsom said.
But the governor took a slightly more laudatory tone in his appraisal of Rubio’s speech, during which the secretary of state told Europeans, “We are part of one civilization, Western civilization.”
“I like this notion of Western civilization if he’s referring, in that case, to the best of Roman Republic and Greek democracy, co-equal branches of government,” Newsom said. “If he’s referencing popular sovereignty and the rule of law, I align with his remarks.”
US democracy could hit "rock bottom" before coming back, Michigan senator says
Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan cited the Trump administration’s recent failed attempt to indict her as an example of US democracy “going through something profound,” adding that it could hit rock bottom.
Speaking on a panel about European support for Ukraine, Slotkin blamed the exclusion of European leaders from Washington’s ongoing negotiations with Russia on the US’ domestic political situation.
Slotkin’s comments come after the Justice Department failed to indict Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a video that urged military service members to disobey any illegal orders. Slotkin was one of six Democrats who appeared in the video.
“I was almost indicted last week by my government so … we are going through something profound, and we will get through it. I believe, to my core, we will get through it, but we will have to hit rock bottom before we come back up, and we’re gonna have to fight for it.”
Breaking down the underlying message in Rubio's speech
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech today at the Munich Security Conference may have garnered more applause than gasps, but that’s not necessarily a signal the Trump administration’s foreign policy approach has substantially changed.
Watch analysis from CNN chief international security correspondent Nick Paton Walsh:
CNN's Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh says while many European allies were relieved by the positive messages in US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's speech at the Munich Security Conference, it signalled a significant shift in the global order.
It’s Day 2 of the Munich Security Conference. Here’s a recap if you're just joining us
We’re at the midway point of the three-day Munich Security Conference, with a key focus today on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks to the gathering of world leaders.
Here’s what we’ve learned so far today:
- Rubio strikes a more conciliatory tone: The US secretary of state opened his much-anticipated remarks by recognizing the historical significance of the alliance between Europe and America that “saved the world” from past threats. He also made clear that the Trump administration believes the path forward requires a shift in how those countries work together. Rubio also said Washington would keep striving for a peace deal in Ukraine, but is unsure if Moscow really wants to end the fighting. The tone of his remarks stood in stark contrast to those delivered just one year ago by US Vice President JD Vance, in which he harshly criticized Europe for relying too heavily on US support.
- Comments from China: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing is encouraged by what he calls “signs of respect” from the United States. Wang told the conference that some in the US were trying to attack and smear China, and the best outcome would be for the two governments to work together.
- Comments from the UK: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Europe is a “sleeping giant” as he called for NATO’s European members to work together to “great effect” in the face of Russian aggression. Starmer also announced that his country would deploy warships to the North Atlantic this year, led by the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier.
- Zelensky’s remarks: Not a single Ukrainian power plant has escaped damage by Russian attacks, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He also said that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin cannot live without war and that Ukraine wants peace. “We don’t hear compromises from Russian side. We want to hear from them something,” Zelensky said.
- Navalny news: Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, who died two years ago, was killed while in prison by a lethal toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America, five European countries said in a statement today.
CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Tim Lister, Sophie Tanno, Evan John, Fadel Allassan, Christian Sierra, Catherine Nicholls, Riane Lumer contributed reporting.
Navalny had survived a poisoning four years before his death
Several European countries have today accused Russia of fatally poisoning Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny with a lethal toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America, a substance that they say is not found naturally in Russia.
Navalny was being held by Russian authorities in an Arctic penal colony at the time of his death in 2024.
Russian officials have repeatedly denied being responsible for Navalny’s death, and CNN has reached out to the Kremlin for comment.
Navalny had been poisoned before, falling ill while flying from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow in 2020. He was quickly airlifted to Berlin, and subsequently put in an artificial coma in an intensive care unit.
The German government said then that he was poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent. A joint investigation by CNN and the group Bellingcat implicated the Russian Security Service (FSB) in the poisoning. It found that the FSB had formed an elite team specializing in nerve agents that trailed Navalny for years.
Russia denied involvement in that poisoning, too. Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the time that if the security service had wanted to kill Navalny, it “would have finished” the job.
Five months after his 2020 poisoning, Navalny returned to Russia in January 2021, saying that he missed his home. Moments after landing, he was detained by police, and was incarcerated up until his death.
CNN’s Anna Chernova and Christian Edwards contributed to this reporting.
“Every marriage has crises": German defense minister on US-European relations
More reaction now to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech at the Munich Security Conference. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said “every marriage has crises”, referring to the strained relations between the United States and its European allies.
Speaking to CNN following Rubio’s remarks, he added, in moments like this you “either fight or take flight.”
Pistorius did say however he “appreciated the reassuring tone of his speech, he underlined once more… that we have common roots and joined people in common history.”
There was trepidation in Munich at the tone the US’ top diplomat would use in his speech following the scathing rebuke of long held allies delivered by Vice President JD Vance at last year’s summit.
When asked about how negotiations on ending the war on Ukraine were progressing, Pistorius said “Putin says he wants peace, but his actions in Ukraine, his actions in the regime, at negotiation table, speaks another language,” adding: “I am hoping the war is ending soon, but not really confident.”
Venezuelan opposition figure Machado lauds US role in removing Maduro
Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado has said the United States risked the lives of its citizens to remove the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro, which is why she dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump.
Appearing at the Munich Security Conference by video link from an undisclosed location in the US, Machado said she would return home as soon as possible, and her return would be coordinated with the US government.
Machado alleged that Venezuela’s current interim President, Delcy Rodriguez, was closely linked to the criminal environment of the Maduro regime – days after the US Energy Secretary Chris Wright met with Rodriguez in Caracas and toured the country’s oil facilities with her.
Machado said the release of political prisoners was an example of growing pressure on the Venezuelan government from within. But hundreds remained behind bars, she said.
She said she had spoken on Friday with fellow opposition figure Juan Pablo Guanipa, who was re-arrested this week just two days after his release from jail. She said he was under house arrest and his home was surrounded by security personnel.
What Starmer, von der Leyen and Rutte said in Munich earlier this morning
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech at the Munich Security Conference today was followed by remarks by European leaders and the NATO secretary general. They spoke about the US-European alliance and support for Ukraine during the country’s war with Russia.
Here’s a look at the key lines we reported this morning:
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe needed a new security strategy which could involve bringing a “mutual defense clause to life.” Highlighting how the European Union has remained “relentless” in its support for Ukraine, von der Leyen said: “This is a true European awakening, and this is only the start of what we need to do.”
- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for NATO’s European members to work together in the face of Russian aggression. The continent must stand ready to build a “hard power,” and be ready to fight if necessary, he said. Starmer also called for “closer economic alignment” with the European Union, saying London would “move closer to the single market” in certain areas.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte offered his support to US President Donald Trump’s record on negotiating with Russia when asked by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, saying Trump remained the only leader that can get Russian leader Vladimir Putin to move. On security guarantees for Ukraine, Rutte said there was “a huge shift in mindset within NATO” as “the Europeans take more responsibility for their own defense.” He said he saw “a total unity of vision” between the US and Europe.
CNN’s Sophie Tanno and Tim Lister contributed to this post.
Former Speaker Pelosi says Rubio speech was "condescending" but "well received"
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech today was “well received” by Europeans at the event.
The Democrat added that Rubio’s message stood in contrast to Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the conference last year, which made waves for criticizing European allies and warning them of threats “from within,” while downplaying Russian and Chinese security-related threats across the continent.
But Pelosi, a member of the Munich Security Conference Advisory Council, added that the address was “a little bit condescending to Europeans — ‘We’re willing to be with you as long as we agree on certain things’ — but nonetheless well received.”
Rubio told the gathering that the US and Europe “belong together” during his address, and highlighted the history and significance of European and US relations. He also called on the continent to do more to defend itself against regional threats.
Pelosi is among several lawmakers who made their way to Germany this week looking to counter President Donald Trump’s foreign policy message. That list includes roughly half a dozen Democrats with potential presidential ambitions in 2028.
GOP senator urges US to supply long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine
Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi said at the Munich Security Conference today that the Trump administration must supply Tomahawk missiles to help Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Wicker, who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, was on a panel that included NATO Chief Mark Rutte, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola.
As CNN has previously reported, the Pentagon granted a green light to the White House to give Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles in October of last year, leaving the final decision up to Trump after assessing that it would not negatively impact US stockpiles, according to three US and European officials familiar with the matter.
While Ukraine has requested the missiles from the US for over a year, Trump has not agreed to provide them with fears of escalation in the war.
Wicker also noted that Congress will vote in approximately two weeks on sanctions, arguing that placing pressure on Russian oil could strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position.
“Some other good news, public opinion in favor of Ukraine in the United States is growing. Public opinion among Republicans being polled is growing in the United States, and we’re in a position with the sanctions bill perhaps next week for this to be a turning point,” Wicker noted.
CNN’s Harry Enten reported in March last year that 25% of Republicans said they support Ukraine’s fight, even if it meant a longer war, while 74% favored a quick end to the war, even if Russia keeps captured land from Ukraine.
Russian opposition figure Navalny killed by toxin found in dart frogs, Europeans say
Russian opposition figure and outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny, who died two years ago, was killed while in prison by a lethal toxin found in poison dart frogs in South America, five European countries have said in a statement today.
Analyses of samples taken from Navalny’s body have “conclusively confirmed the presence of epibatidine,” the statement said. The substance is not found naturally in Russia, it added.
The five countries — UK, Sweden, France, Germany and The Netherlands — said Moscow “had the means, motive and opportunity to administer this poison” to Navalny while he was held in a penal colony north of the Arctic Circle.
Only “the Russian state had the combined means, motive and disregard for international law” to contribute to Navalny’s death, they added
The announcement came during the Munich Security Conference in Germany, during which Navalny’s death was announced in 2024.
At that time, Navalny’s wife Yulia Navalnaya came on stage at the conference in tears and received a standing ovation.
“I am grateful to the European states for the meticulous work they carried out over two years and for uncovering the truth,” she said, adding: “Vladimir Putin is a murderer. He must be held accountable for all his crimes.”
Russian officials have repeatedly denied being responsible for Navalny’s death. CNN has reached out to the Kremlin for comment.
CNN’s Sebastian Shukla contributed to this reporting.
Rubio met Syrian foreign minister on sidelines of conference, US says
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference yesterday, according to the US State Department, during which the former stressed the importance of a permanent ceasefire in northeast Syria.
Rubio affirmed US support “for a Syria that is stable, at peace with its neighbors, and protects the rights of all its ethnic and religious minority groups,” the State Department said.
Rubio also met with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the US State Department said, describing the talks as “positive and constructive.”
US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in April was discussed, according to the State Department.
Meanwhile, US military says it conducted more than 10 strikes hitting ISIS remnants in Syria
The US said today it conducted 10 strikes against more than 30 ISIS targets in Syria this month to sustain pressure on “remnants from the terrorist network.”
The attacks, which were carried out from February 3 to 12, are tied to a retaliatory campaign dubbed “Operation Hawkeye Strike,” named for the two US soldiers from Iowa, “the Hawkeye State,” who were killed during a fatal attack by an ISIS gunman in Palmyra, Syria in December.
The strikes targeted ISIS infrastructure and weapons storage facilities with “precision munitions delivered by fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aircraft,” US Central Command said in a statement on Saturday.
The US also conducted five strikes against an ISIS communication site, critical logistics node and weapons storage facilities between January 27 and February 2 as part of the campaign, according to Central Command, whose purview includes military operations in the Middle East.
More than 50 ISIS terrorists have been killed or captured as part of the retaliatory campaign, Central Command said, adding that it has struck more than 100 ISIS infrastructure targets in the two months since the effort started.
The strikes come as the US has said it departed a strategic military garrison in Syria after more than a decade “as part of a deliberate and conditions-based transition” to a smaller US footprint in the country.
