AMNA NAWAZ: Welcome to the "News Hour."

America's top diplomat traveled to Hungary# today and endorsed that country's far righ.. prime minister, who's seeking his fifth straight# term in office this April.

Viktor Orban has## cracked down on the media, civil society and# weakened judicial independence in Hungary.

At a news conference in Budapest, Secretary# of State Marco Rubio said the extraordinarily## close relationship between President# Trump and Orban had tangible benefits.

MARCO RUBIO, U.S.

Secretary of State: President# Trump is deeply committed to your success,## because your success is our success.

AMNA NAWAZ: Orban has close ties to## Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And# while Europe has ended or significantly## reduced its reliance on Russian oil, Hungary# refuses to cut back on the oil it buys from## Russia.

President Trump has exempted Hungary# from U.S.

sanctions for those purchases.

Rubio's meeting with Orban came after the# secretary of state addressed world leaders## at the Munich Security Conference# this weekend.

Coming on the heels## of Trump's threats to Greenland, Rubio# tried to convey a reassuring message.

MARCO RUBIO: We care deeply about your# future and ours.

And if at times we disagree,## our disagreements come from our profound sense of## concern about a Europe with which we# are connected, not just economically,## not just militarily.

We are connected# spiritually and we are connected culturally.

The fundamental question we must answer at# the outset is, what exactly are we defending?## Because armies do not fight for abstractions.# Armies fight for a people.

Armies fight for a## nation.

Armies fight for a way of life.

And that# is what we are defending, a great civilization.

Acting together in this way, we will not# just help recover a sane foreign policy.## It will restore to us a clear sense of# ourselves.

It will restore a place in the## world.

And in so doing, it will rebuke# and deter the forces of civilizational## erasure that today menace# both America and Europe alike.

AMNA NAWAZ: After the secretary's speech,## Nick Schifrin, who was in Munich, spoke to# two senior European officials .. reactions, beginning with the minister# of defense for Belgium, Theo Francken.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Defense Minister, thank# you very much.

Welcome to the "News Hour."

THEO FRANCKEN, Belgian# Defense Minister: Thank you.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Y.. have referenced Venezuela.

You# have referenced, of course,## the crisis over Greenland.

Secretary Rubio came# here to Munich, gave a speech that was described## by the chairman of the conference# as reassurance to European allies.

Where do you think transatlantic# relations are right now?

THEO FRANCKEN: I wrote a book# about the history of NATO,## and I said we have a marriage of# 76 years old and we're in a crisis.

Since one year, we're in a marriage crisis.

And# then you can -- I'm married for 20 years.

And## sometimes you have a fight, and we had some# fights the last couple of months.

Certainly,## on Greenland, we had a big fight.# And I think that you can choose## two ways or you do a divorce or# you try to fix your marriage.

And I think that in the main interest of the# United States, of American people is -- and## in European states and European people# is to stay together, to stick together,## because the threats, the storm is coming, is# already there, and the threats are increasing.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Some European officials I talk to# say that Greenland was basically a turning point## or almost a turning point, but that the lesson# learned was that Europe united to push back## on the United States and that's why President# Trump basically took an off-ramp on Greenland.

Is that how you sit?

THEO FRANCKEN: I'm really an Atlanticist thinker.# I'm somebody who really loves .. civilization, American people.

And I always# defend you in my Parliament, in my public opinion.

But Greenland was the total red line.

You cannot# offend somebody by taking or by threatening the## territorial integrity of a country.

That is# just a red line.

You cannot do it.

I mean,## it's an ally, such a good and decent# ally like Denmark.

You just can't do it.

So, yes, the pushback was really, really# well-coordinated.

And I hope, I don't know,## but I see that the reaction now# is like appeasing and saying, OK.

NICK SCHIFRIN: From the U.S.,# you're saying, the U.S.?

THEO FRANCKEN: Yes.

Yes, absolutely.

NICK SCHIFRIN: So, does that mean that the lesson that Europe has taken#.. THEO FRANCKEN: Pushback worked in this# specific situation with Greenland.## And I think the message has really been# clear.

And the reaction is also clear.

So, Mr.

Rubio now really opening up and saying,## OK, let's -- we have our problems, but we# have our problems also in the United States,## we have our problems in Europe, but# we -- let's try to fix them together.

And I think that, for me, it is# really a relief and I think also## for a lot of Europeans and a lot of# American people that are saying, OK.

NICK SCHIFRIN: And, later, I spoke to Kaja# Kallas, Europe's top diplomat, about Secretary of## State Marco Rubio's speech here in Munich and the# overall relationship between the U.S.

and Europe.

Kaja Kallas, thanks very much.# Welcome back to the "News Hour."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio in his address# to the Munich Security Conference said this of## the United States and Europe -- quote -- "Our# destiny will always be intertwined with yours,## and we want to do it together with you, our# oldest allies and our cherished friends."

But his agenda that he laid out,# including stopping immigration## that has caused what he called# European civilizational erasure,## and eliminating -- quote -- "the# global welfare state and the climate## cult," the chairman of the Munich Security# Conference said he was reassured.

Are you?

KAJA KALLAS, Foreign Affairs High# Representative, European Commission: The tone## was different.

That's fo.. NICK SCHIFRIN: Than Vice# President Vance last year.

KAJA KALLAS: Yes.

And, also, I mea.. we want to do this together with you.# We have always been together and we## will be also together in the future.# So that is the message that we heard.

We don't always see eye to eye on# issues.

And we still think that## if you're worried about migration, you should# be also worried about the climate change,## because people will have to leave their# homes because they can't live there.

So these are the debates that we definitely don't# always agree.

But I think, in the bigger picture,## the security issues, the message to us that we# want to work with you, I think it's important.

NICK SCHIFRIN: It does seem, though, that# some European concerns that already existed## of the Trump administration certainly# crescendoed after the Greenland crisis.

And I noticed that French President# Emmanuel Macron used a phrase at the## Munich Security Conference.# He said -- quote -- "We will## de-risk vis-a-vis all the big powers# in order to be much more independent."

He did not say de-risk from China,# right?

That's the phrase he used,## clearly implying the United States.

Is Europe de-risking from the United# States?

And what does that look like?

KAJA KALLAS: I mean, we are# strengthening our defense.

We are## really trying to get over our dependencies,# because dependencies make us vulnerable and weak.

We are diversifying our trade relationships.

We# are also diversifying our defense and security## partnerships, so that we are not putting all the# eggs in the same basket, because every tendency... NICK SCHIFRIN: The American basket.

KAJA KALLAS: Wha.. learned the hard way that it's going to be# very costly.

Now we are also worried about## dependencies on technologies that come from China.

And, of course, in terms of security, we# have been dependent also on the United## States.

And we are doing more to be more# independent when it comes to security.

NICK SCHIFRIN: One of the examples# of perhaps Europeans thinking about## de-risking the United States is a# conversation about nuclear deterrence.

We heard from the chancellor of Germany,# Friedrich Merz, saying openly that he was## talking to France about perhaps extending# their nuclear deterrence to Europe.

I've## talked to other foreign ministers# who are certainly talking about that.

Is that a sign that Europe does not have# faith in the U.S.

nuclear deterrent?

KAJA KALLAS: These discussions are# out there.

I don't think it's good## for the overall peace of the world, because# these are very dangerous weapons, but... NICK SCHIFRIN: Not a good idea to# even have discussions or you're## saying not a good idea to extend nuclear weapons?

KAJA KALLAS: No, no, no, I think -- yes,# I think the discussions are there.

It's## always good to have discussions,# what are the options really?

But we are in this point where we are# entering into a very dangerous world,## where we might see more nuclear# weapons.

But at the same time,## I can understand where these countries are# coming from.

Exactly.

The risks are higher.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Let me ask about Alexei# Navalny, the former Russian opposition## figure who died in Russian detention.

Five# European countries have come out and said that## he was poisoned -- quote -- "with a lethal toxin# found in poisoned dart frogs in South America."

What does that say about Vladimir Putin's Russia?

KAJA KALLAS: Well, it says what we have always# known.

It is literally dictator's handbook.

How you remain in power is that you# eliminate all the potential competitors.## You keep the oligarchs and the power structures# happy, and you are staying in power.

So that's## very clear that he's operating like this.# He's killing his own people to stay in power.

NICK SCHIFRIN: And finally, on Ukraine,# European intelligence officials here## briefed reporters and said that Vladimir# Putin is not negotiating in good faith.

U.S.

officials, as you know, believe# they are making progress.

Who's right?

KAJA KALLAS: We see a strong push for peace,## but it's one-sided.

We have heard what# Ukraine is willing to also concede,## but Russians are just playing time and pretending# to negotiate, so that's not really serious.

They want to have absolute# maximalist goals delivered## by the Americans diplomatically what they# haven't been able to conquer militarily.## I don't know where this belief comes# that actually there's progress made.

NICK SCHIFRIN: Kaja Kallas, thank you very much.

KAJA KALLAS: Thank you.