Munich Security Conference. A year after J.D. Vance shocked with a controversial speech regarding U.S. allies, Europe is cautiously awaiting Marco Rubio.

Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, is leading a delegation at the Munich Security Conference, where European leaders hope for a less controversial approach than that of his predecessor, J.D. Vance.

After harsh criticism from Vance last year, Rubio intends to focus on areas of cooperation, including in the Middle East and Ukraine, to restore confidence in transatlantic relations affected by Donald Trump's policies. Recent tensions, such as Trump's comments about Greenland, have led Europeans to question the value of the U.S. as an ally. European leaders, such as Emmanuel Macron, have criticized the Trump administration as being anti-European, while others, like Mark Carney, are seeking trade alternatives outside the U.S. Rubio will have a difficult task, trying to calm European fears regarding U.S. foreign policy, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine and Russia's ambitions.