EU Envoy to Washington Says She Expects ‘Good Relations’ With Marco Rubio

Jovita Neliupšienė, the European Union’s ambassador to the U.S., said she believes Brussels will have “good relations” with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as his Secretary of State.

“He’s a really experienced politician,” she said, referring to Rubio. “We know he has a huge interest in Latin America — that’s quite obvious.”

Neliupšienė’s comments came during an event on Friday hosted by the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies. Neliupšienė, who previously served as Lithuania’s ambassador to the EU, was introduced at the talk by Khatuna Salukvadze, a senior fellow at Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative and Georgia’s former ambassador to Lithuania. Harvard Kennedy School professor Mathias Risse moderated the discussion.

Neliupšienė also said that she believes Trump’s return to the White House will not harm Washington’s relationship with Brussels, adding that the EU remains committed to the transatlantic relationship.

“We will work with anyone who is appointed in this country,” she said. “The people of United States voted. It’s not for us diplomats to give an evaluation.”

Neliupšienė also highlighted the European Union’s “massive economic relations” with the United States, saying that Brussels is paying specific attention to who Trump will pick to lead the Treasury, the Department of Commerce, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Risse then shifted the conversation to the ongoing war in Ukraine, citing Trump’s claim that he could end the conflict within 24 hours of taking office as president.

While Neliupšienė did not directly address Trump’s claim about ending the war, she reiterated the EU’s commitment that Ukrainians will take the lead on any peace negotiations with Russia.

“Negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine will not lead anywhere,” she said.

During the event, Neliupšienė also defended the importance of NATO — an alliance that Trump once threatened to remove the U.S. from.

“For the European security stability and for the global stability, as such, NATO is fundamental,” she said.

Neliupšienė also addressed the direct implications of the war in Ukraine for the U.S., saying that the “general essence of NATO is deterrence.”

“This war is not about Ukrainian territories. It’s a war against the West,” Neliupšienė added. “It’s a bit of our war, but it’s your war, because another side is actually playing this war against you.”

Neliupšienė said that a Russian victory in Ukraine would be very damaging for Washington and its influence on the world stage.

“They want to undermine the United States’ power in the world,” she added.

In particular, Neliupšienė said that if the West suffers a strategic defeat in Ukraine it could embolden other countries, like China, that might want to test how far they could push the U.S. in other conflicts.

“How you solve Ukraine actually will have an effect on what you can expect in other situations,” Neliupšienė said. “If you don’t stand your ground with Ukraine, which is kind of close to your borders, how can you actually stand your ground in the Pacific, which is further away?”