U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a forceful defense of Washington’s right to wield its “national power” during a speech in Athens on Wednesday, urging Europe to “awaken from its long slumber” amid rising global competition.
“We are at an inflection point … not only in the history of my nation but an inflection point in the whole of our civilization,” Rubio declared beneath the Acropolis. “Either we choose to act now, or lose the choice to act at all.”
Rubio asserted that the United States under President Donald Trump has made its choice: “the unapologetic pursuit of national power.” He outlined a strategy to reclaim control of critical supply chains, reindustrialize the economy, rebuild defense capabilities, and secure dominance in the technologies and industries of the future.
“There is new competition between great powers again. There is vulnerability, aggression, terrorism, a whole universe of new threats and attacks again,” Rubio said. “We must rebuild our institutions and our alliances to face these threats together.”
He pointed to encouraging signs in Europe, including skyrocketing defense spending, new partnerships, and expanded manufacturing. “We believe that Europe can awaken from its long slumber and rekindle the fire that was lit here millennia ago,” he added.
The speech, rich with references to ancient Greece, followed Rubio’s February address at the Munich Security Conference where he argued Europe was threatened by mass immigration and called for a defense of Christian civilization. In Athens, he also highlighted the energy sector and announced a joint agreement on intelligence sharing regarding drug trafficking and terrorism.
“As you see a world that faces … destabilising events, you recognise how important this alliance with Greece is to the United States,” Rubio said, citing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He claimed Iran had “lost complete control” of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, offering reassurance as the U.S. navigates regional tensions weeks before key legislative elections.
Rubio participated in a “strategic dialogue” with Greece on regional and energy security Wednesday amid heightened tensions from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. On Tuesday, more than 2,000 demonstrators gathered in central Athens to protest his visit, prompting a heavy police presence and the closure of Syntagma Square to traffic.
The trip has been shadowed by media reports concerning potential conflicts of interest involving U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle. Congressman Gregory Meeks sent a letter to Rubio seeking clarification on a Wall Street Journal report alleging Guilfoyle suggested the U.S. could engineer “political change” in European countries.
Rubio is scheduled to meet conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday evening before departing for Lisbon on Thursday.
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