Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to call for the nations of the West to return to their civilisational roots and restore the values that drove the rise of Europe and North America to global dominance for centuries.
In Athens to discuss deepening economic, energy and security cooperation with Greece, Mr. Mr. Rubio is seen by many as the gentle face of the Trump administration and has been frequently dispatched to clarify or otherwise address concerns about the President’s frequently undiplomatic statements. In some quarters, however, Mr. Rubio’s Athens speech may be seen as a follow-on to the blistering address Vice-President J.D. The Trump administration has repeatedly accused countries in Europe of backsliding on their traditional values and democratic principles by stifling the free speech of conservatives and falling short on commitments to international partners like the United States. It remains unclear what impact Mr. Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr.
Rubio will deliver a speech later on Wednesday (October 7, 2026) near the ruins of the Acropolis, a widely recognizable symbol of the city’s ancient civilisation associated with the creation of popular participatory government and the social contract. The demonstration was organised by a communist labour union and other left-wing groups and was held ahead of extensive road closures planned in Athens on Wednesday (October 7). Organisers said similar protests were held in at least 12 other Greek cities. Rubio’s visits will have, although on Tuesday (October 6) in Reykjavik, he sought to reassure Iceland that President Donald Trump’s administration has no designs on the island.
“He will warn that too much of our civilisation has forgotten these essential qualities, and urge our allies across the West to join the United States in rejecting decline, defending our shared heritage, and confronting a new era of great-power competition together,” the department said. Rather, he said the U.S. shares Iceland’s deep concerns about Arctic security as tensions between the U.S. and Russia rise in the High North and elsewhere. Rubio said after the Journal story appeared, “has been an incredible advocate for the President’s agenda in Greece and across Europe. He said he and Trump greatly value the ambassador’s “pivotal work and leadership,” notably on energy issues.
Vance gave at last year’s Munich Security Conference, in which he excoriated Europeans for allowing unchecked immigration and accused them of overreliance on America and inattention to their own security.
