At the Munich Security Conference (MSC), California Governor Gavin Newsom questioned whether Ukraine can rely on the current US administration, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio largely avoided mentioning the war in his keynote address and emphasized a broader civilizational reset of the transatlantic relationship.
In a doorstep interview with Kyiv Post on the sidelines of the MSC, Newsom said the administration’s approach risks prioritizing headline-grabbing deals over sustained support for Ukraine, even as the war grinds on and Russia shows little sign of compromise.
Rubio’s speech framed global politics as a shift away from what he described as a failed “rules-based global order,” arguing instead for national sovereignty, reciprocal partnerships and a multipolar world structured around interests rather than treaties. Ukraine featured only briefly in the address and more prominently during a short question-and-answer session.
Rubio’s limited focus on Ukraine
In response to questions, Rubio said the US was testing whether Russia was serious about ending the war, while maintaining sanctions and continuing weapons sales to support Ukraine’s defense. He described negotiations as narrowed to “the hardest questions to answer,” adding that a just and sustainable settlement remained elusive.
The remarks came as Rubio prepared to travel next to Hungary and Slovakia, two EU countries whose governments have opposed further military aid to Ukraine and, in Budapest’s case, openly questioned Kyiv’s alignment with European interests.
Newsom described the timing and destination of the trip as “remarkable,” given Hungary’s recent political positioning and the rhetoric of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán toward Ukraine.
Orbán recently described Ukraine as an enemy, placing Hungary at odds with most EU and NATO partners.
Newsom questions trust and consistency
In an interview after Rubio’s speech, Newsom said the administration’s stated desire for peace was sincere but poorly executed.
“I want to acknowledge the desire that is sincere of [US] President Trump, the administration, [and the] secretary of state, to get a peace deal,” Newsom said. “But the nature of how they’ve gone about it, where they initially pulled the rug out from under the Ukrainian people in an effort to reach out to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, clearly has not worked.”
He said a recalibration appeared to be underway but warned that inconsistency undermines Ukraine’s position.
“You’re dealing with an impossible partner in Putin,” Newsom said. “That requires consistent, strong support for the Ukrainian people that is expressed over a long period of time in order to create the conditions, from my perspective, for a peace deal.”
Newsom argued that Trump’s political instincts were shaping foreign policy.
“That’s what Donald Trump’s all about,” he said. “He wants the deal, he wants the headline.”“But the desire for a deal is real, and Trump recognizes that,” Newsom added. “He [just] needs to, I think, change his approach a bit with Putin.”
A deal-driven presidency
Newsom suggested domestic political pressure could further influence the White House’s approach, pointing to the US midterm elections.
“He needs a deal,” Newsom said, adding that Trump “doesn’t have many wins on the board.”
While declining to comment on specific weapons systems or escalation risks, Newsom said decisions about long-range missiles for Ukraine should rest with US diplomats and military leaders, not state officials.
“I want to be careful as a governor,” he said. “That calculation, that consideration, I think is best left in the hands of [the administration], our military personnel, and obviously the secretary of state.”
Europe urged to project strength
Newsom also revisited comments he made in Davos, where he had described European politicians as “pathetic” in their response to Trump’s pressure tactics, later clarifying that his remarks were about strategy, not individuals.
“He susses out weakness and he exploits weakness,” Newsom said of Trump. “That’s his super skill. He respects strength.”
He said Europe would benefit from a clearer, more assertive stance toward Washington, citing recent speeches by European leaders that emphasized unity, including on Ukraine and resistance to US overreach on issues such as Greenland.
A broader shift in US foreign policy
Rubio’s speech echoed themes outlined in the latest Munich Security Report, which described the current US approach as “wrecking-ball politics” – a rejection of multilateralism in favor of transactional relationships and ad hoc partnerships.
In Munich, Rubio defended that shift as a necessary correction to decades of policy he said weakened Western societies through de-industrialization, mass migration and dependence on global institutions.
Newsom, however, warned that in the context of Ukraine, a deal-first mindset without sustained pressure on Moscow risks rewarding aggression.
For Ukraine and its allies, he suggested, the question raised in Munich was not whether Washington wants peace – but on whose terms, and at what cost.