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February 13 – February 19
The 2026 Winter Olympics are coming to an end on February 22, and Team USA has made us all proud.
Here’s what happened at State this week. ⤵️
- ☮️ President Trump convened the Board of Peace.
- 🌎 Secretary Rubio delivered remarks at the Munich Security Conference.
- 🤝 The United States strengthened strategic energy and security ties with Slovakia and Hungary.
 President Trump delivers remarks at the Board of Peace meeting at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., on February 19, 2026. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)
On February 19, President Trump delivered remarks at the first meeting of the Board of Peace. The board, composed of more than two dozen founding member nations, met to formalize a $5 billion commitment toward the reconstruction and stabilization of Gaza.
Secretary Rubio, a member of the board’s executive committee, praised the initiative. He stated, "We are here today because the President has both an ability and a willingness to use the power of his office to think outside the box... This Gaza situation was impossible to solve under existing structures."
The meeting included representatives from across the Middle East and Asia, focused on establishing an international stabilization force and creating a framework for "modern and efficient governance" to attract global investment.
 Secretary Rubio delivers remarks to the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 14, 2026. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)
From February 13 to 15, Secretary Rubio attended the Munich Security Conference in Germany, where he met with global leaders to discuss shared priorities and legacies.
In a keynote address, the Secretary said, “We want Europe to be strong. We believe that Europe must survive, because the two great wars of the last century serve for us as history’s constant reminder that ultimately, our destiny is and will always be intertwined with yours.”
During the conference, the Secretary met with G7 colleagues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and bilateral counterparts.
 (Left) Secretary Rubio meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Budapest, Hungary, and (Right) meets with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava, Slovakia. (Official State Department photo by Freddie Everett)
Following the Munich Security Conference, Secretary Rubio traveled to Bratislava and Budapest on February 15 and 16 to meet with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Vicktor Orbán.
In Bratislava, Secretary Rubio met with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and key members of the Slovak government to advance shared regional security interests, strengthen bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy and energy diversification, and support Slovakia’s military modernization and NATO commitments.
During his visit to Budapest, the Secretary met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and key Hungarian officials to bolster our shared bilateral and regional interests, including our commitment to peace processes to resolve global conflicts and to the U.S.-Hungary energy partnership.
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