During the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly criticized the notion of a “world without borders,” cautioning European leaders about the dangers of unchecked mass migration. He argued that such movements threaten to destabilize Western civilization and undermine national sovereignty.

Addressing the audience at the annual gathering, Rubio challenged the post-Cold War assumption that the world had reached an “end of history,” a period when liberal democracy would flourish and national boundaries would become obsolete. He described this belief as a “dangerous delusion.”

“It was a misguided idea that disregarded both human nature and the lessons of over 5,000 years of recorded history, and it has resulted in significant costs,” Rubio stated.

He emphasized that the essence of border security lies not in exclusion, but in fulfilling a national responsibility.

Marco Rubio delivered his keynote address at the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 14, 2026, in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Johannes Simon/Getty Images)

“We must regain control over our national borders, managing who enters our countries and in what numbers,” he asserted. “This stance is not motivated by xenophobia or hatred; it is a fundamental expression of national sovereignty.”

Failing to do so, Rubio warned, is “not just an abdication of one of our most basic duties owed to our people — it is an urgent threat to the fabric of our societies and the survival of our civilization itself.”

The U.S. top diplomat added that lax enforcement threatens “the cohesion of our societies, the continuity of our culture, and the future of our people.”

Rubio’s remarks come amid mounting political tensions in both Europe and the U.S. over migration, asylum policy and border security.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens to German diplomat and Munich Security Conference Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, 2026, in Munich, Germany. (Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Outlining America’s direction under President Donald Trump, Rubio said the U.S. seeks to rebuild its alliance with Europe on stronger footing.

“We want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength,” he said. “This is why we do not want our allies to be shackled by guilt and shame. We want allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilization, and who, together with us, are willing and able to defend it.”

“We in America have no interest in being polite and orderly caretakers of the West’s managed decline,” Rubio said. “We do not seek to separate, but to revitalize an old friendship and renew the greatest civilization in human history.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks, next to Munich Security Conference chairman Wolfgang Ischinger, in Munich, Germany, Feb. 14, 2026.   (Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS)

The secretary said the U.S. seeks an alliance “ready to defend our people, to safeguard our interests, and to preserve the freedom of action that allows us to shape our own destiny, not one that exists to operate a global welfare state and atone for the purported sins of past generations.”

Rubio reminded attendees that America’s ties to Europe stretch back centuries, saying the U.S. will remain permanently linked to the continent.

“What we have inherited together is something that is unique and distinctive and irreplaceable,” Rubio said. “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.”

Marco Rubio could not be immediately reached by Fox News Digital for comment.