U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a nationalist speech in Athens on Wednesday, urging Western nations to reclaim their historical dominance by embracing values rooted in ancient Greek civilization. Speaking beneath the Acropolis, Rubio framed President Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda as a return to principles of heroism, honor, and duty, arguing that loyalty to one’s nation is not selfish but essential.
“It has become fashionable today to believe that enlightened foreign policy means prioritizing the ‘global community’ over one’s own people,” Rubio said, invoking figures from Socrates to Julius Caesar to justify a focus on national interest . He warned Europe to “awaken from its long slumber” or face “atrophy, servitude and decline,” according to reports from the Financial Times and the South China Morning Post .
The speech, part of a three-nation NATO tour including Iceland and Portugal, also emphasized the need for Western unity to confront modern threats. Rubio stated that the U.S. would act in its own interests but sought Europe’s alignment with a “bold vision of the future” . The New York Times noted his call for Western nations to embrace an ethos of exploration and conquest to remain “at the head of the world” .
