Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a warning Friday to governments across the European Union and the United Kingdom, cautioning that escalating restrictions on freedom of expression could undermine the shared cultural and political foundations that underpin the transatlantic alliance.
Speaking during a press conference, Rubio said the current direction of speech regulation and civil liberty restrictions in Europe risks eroding the common values that have historically bound the United States and its European partners.
He said those shared values are central to the strength of alliances such as NATO and warned that abandoning them could have long-term consequences.
Rubio said the concerns align with priorities outlined in the White House’s National Security Strategy and in a State Department policy document published earlier this year.
According to Rubio, the issue is not limited to defense cooperation but extends to deeper cultural and civilizational ties.
“You go to these NATO meetings and you meet with people, what they will tell you [is] our shared history, our shared legacy, our shared values, our shared priorities. That’s what they talk about as the reason for this alliance,” Rubio said.
“Well, if you erase your shared history, your shared culture, your shared ideology, your shared priorities, your shared principles, then what – then you just have a straight-up defense agreement. That’s all you have.”
Rubio emphasized that the relationship between the United States and Europe has traditionally rested on more than military coordination.
“The fact that we do have a shared culture, civilization, a shared experience and shared values and principles on things like human rights, on freedom, on liberty, on democracy,” he added.
The secretary said further departures from those principles could place significant strain on longstanding alliances.
“If that’s wiped out, because, for whatever reason, it’s no longer a priority, I do think it puts a strain and threatens the alliance in the long term and in the big picture,” Rubio said.
Rubio specifically pointed to mass migration policies and the erosion of civil liberties, particularly free expression, as major points of concern in relations between the United States and European governments.
🚨 BOOM! Sec. Marco Rubio NAILS IT on European countries LOSING their identities to mass migration
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 20, 2025
“We should be UNAPOLAGETIC of [western values]! Not NEGATE it!” 🔥🔥
“If you erase your shared HISTORY, your shared CULTURE, your shared IDEOLOGY, your shared PRIORITIES, your… pic.twitter.com/FcHj42EkJW
His remarks followed the release of a State Department strategy memo titled “The Need for Civilizational Allies in Europe,” which was published on the department’s Substack in May 2025.
The document frames the U.S.-Europe relationship as rooted in a shared Western heritage drawn from Athens and Rome, Christianity, and English common law.
The memo warns that this shared foundation is being weakened by what it describes as Europe’s retreat from core values, citing digital censorship, restrictions on religious expression, mass migration policies, and what it characterizes as democratic backsliding.
It specifically references the European Union’s Digital Services Act and its enforcement mechanisms, which require content moderation and have led to arrests related to online speech.
“Achieving peace in Europe and around the world requires not a rejection of our shared cultural heritage, but a renewal of it,” the strategy document states.
The memo also argues that protecting political and religious speech is essential, warning that suppression “threatens the very foundation of the transatlantic partnership.”
Rubio’s comments come as European governments continue to expand enforcement of speech-related laws.
In Germany, authorities have arrested between 3,500 and 3,800 people for “hate speech” or online speech offenses since 2023.
German officials have also documented more than 8,000 social media posts investigated under hate speech statutes during that period.
In the United Kingdom, law enforcement has carried out approximately 12,000 arrests for online speech-related offenses, with police averaging about 30 arrests per day under laws including the Communications Act.
Those figures are consistent with prior years, which also recorded more than 12,000 such arrests annually.
The scale of enforcement in Europe contrasts sharply with arrest figures in some countries widely regarded as authoritarian.
According to research by OVD-Info, Russia recorded 173 politically motivated speech arrests in the first half of 2025.
Rubio did not announce specific policy changes during the press conference but said the United States would continue to raise concerns with European allies about civil liberties and free expression.
He framed the issue as central to maintaining the cultural and political bonds that have defined the transatlantic relationship for decades.
His remarks reflect growing tension between U.S. officials and European governments over the balance between regulating online content and protecting fundamental freedoms, an issue that continues to shape diplomatic discussions across the Atlantic.
The Rothschilds own Europe (including Britain) and Europe does whatever their owners want done.
They yearn for the “good old days” of their Messiahs – Lenin and Stalin – and intend to get there BAMN!