Newsroom
Standing at the Acropolis in Athens, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a message aimed well beyond Greece: The West must regain its confidence, rebuild its strength, and stop feeling ashamed of its own history.
His speech began with ancient Athens, but its central argument was about the world today. Rubio portrayed Western countries as having weakened themselves by moving industry overseas, neglecting their militaries, and handing too much control to international institutions.
“We will either choose to act now or lose the choice to act at all,” he said.
Under President Donald Trump, he said, Washington had chosen the “unapologetic pursuit of national power"—bringing back manufacturing, strengthening defense, and competing to lead in technologies ranging from artificial intelligence to advanced weapons.
With the Parthenon behind him, Rubio presented America and Europe as heirs to the same civilization. He spoke of America’s debt to ancient Greece, from democratic ideas to the columns and monuments of Washington.
But his argument went beyond Athens as the birthplace of democracy. He said the West had also inherited a spirit of discovery, competition, and courage—qualities he believed it was losing.
“Today, too much of the West has forgotten this quality,” he said.
The setting gave that message its force. Rubio used the achievements of ancient Greece to challenge today’s Western governments to build, compete, and defend their interests with similar ambition.
He also defended national pride and putting a country’s own people first, criticizing the idea that loyalty to one’s nation was something to be embarrassed about.
Praise for Greece, a challenge to Europe
Rubio called Greece a “model ally” on defense, energy, and migration, saying he hoped the rest of Europe would follow its example.
He welcomed rising European defense spending and argued that differences between Washington and European capitals should not break their partnership.
“We want to win together. We must win together,” he said.
His appeal combined cooperation with a clear expectation: Allies should build their own strength. Diplomacy mattered, he argued, but countries also needed the means to defend themselves and the credibility that they were willing to do so.
Watch his speech below:
