Hearings to examine military to civilian transition, focusing on success after service. (Official U.S. Senate photo by Rosa Pineda)
- U.S. Senator Roger Wicker carries peace through strength message to Europe.
The tyrants in China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran are on the move, and their aggression makes at least one thing clear: America needs strong, reliable friends. In February, I traveled to Europe to bring a message to our most important allies. In this increasingly dangerous world, the nations of Europe and North America must stand united.
Historic Alliance Continues
My first stop was Munich, Germany, for an international gathering of security leaders. Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine loomed large over the entire conference. I spoke on a panel with the heads of Ukraine, the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO), and the European Parliament. Together, we called for the West to increase support for Ukraine, which is the front line of the free world’s fight against tyranny.
Our Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, delivered a powerful and well-received address to the assembly. In front of the world, he told the story of the hard-won bond between Europe and the United States. He explained that America’s “destiny is and will always be intertwined with [Europe’s].”
The secretary is correct. We share common literature, art, and history. As America’s 250th anniversary approaches, we recognize Europe as our ancestor. Many of our citizens have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our shared values. Together, we liberated the world from the fascist horror of World War II, shattered the communist stronghold behind the Iron Curtain, and fought side-by-side against extremists in the War on Terror.
Unfortunately, together, we let down our guard. In the past few decades, our adversaries expanded their militaries while we let our forces shrink. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a wake-up call to much of Europe. President Trump’s commitment to proper burden sharing has also led the continent to increase its defense investment.
Now, on both sides of the Atlantic, a national security renaissance is emerging. Munitions factories are beginning to hum. Defense manufacturing lines have restarted. We will soon see a mix of high-end technology and innovative low-cost weapons reaching warfighters around the free world.
Stand Against Today’s Dictators
As I left Germany and visited Italy and Austria, the theme was the same. At the Vatican, my wife, Gayle, and I were honored to speak with Pope Leo and to share our prayers for peace in Ukraine.
In Munich and Rome, I primarily interacted with officials in my capacity as the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. In Austria, I chaired our U.S. delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). This entity promotes security, human rights, and economic cooperation among nations in Europe and North America.
As I talked with political leaders, diplomats, and military officials, it was clear that they do not have the luxury of downplaying Russia’s aggression. They know Putin is serious about dominating Ukraine and that he harbors ambitions for more European invasions. And since we know that what happens in Europe always affects the United States, Americans have a stake in a just end to the war.
The Europeans I talked with asked about the Ukraine peace process. They know full well that Vladimir Putin is not trustworthy. He has never honored peace agreements. Instead, he sees truces as temporary—a pause in the fighting while he rebuilds for another assault. We agreed that Putin is a war criminal and an incompetent military leader. Today’s negotiations are a question of good versus evil, not of two equal nations at a common table.
As I answered their questions, I repeated what I said across Europe: The West must stand together to drain Putin’s bank account and to equip the Ukrainians with offensive and defensive systems. American and European strength has secured peace before. We can do so again in our day.
