The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, called on Wednesday from Athens for a "generational change" in Europe based on increased defense spending, strengthening industry, and restoring national sovereignty.
Rubio delivered his speech on the historic hill of Pnyx, where the assembly of ancient Athens would gather, with the Acropolis and the Parthenon in the background.
"Across this continent, we are witnessing what we hope will be the beginning of a generational change: a dramatic increase in defense spending, a surge of new alliances and programs, and an expansion of manufacturing and production," he stated.
The head of U.S. diplomacy drew on the political and cultural heritage of classical Greece to advocate for greater economic, military, and technological capabilities for the United States and its European allies.
"Under Trump's presidency, the United States has made a decision. We choose the unwavering pursuit of national power: to regain control of our critical supply chains, to reindustrialize our economy, to rebuild our defense, and to fight for dominance in the technologies and industries of the future," he stated.
Rubio questioned what he described as decades of Western regression, characterized by deindustrialization, loss of control over supply chains, and an increasing external dependency.
"Over time, we came to feel shame for what made us exceptional. Our prosperity became, in a way, a source of guilt," she noted.
The Secretary of State also referred to the Greek concept of thumos, associated with courage, passion, and pride, to warn about the consequences of losing those qualities.
"Without him, nations lose the will to fight, the will to strive, the will to survive," he stated.
Rubio's intervention took place during the sixth round of the Strategic Dialogue between the United States and Greece, held this Wednesday in Athens and focusing on defense, security, energy, technology, trade, and investment.
During the dialogue, it was also reported that Greece would receive 4 billion dollars to support a long-term defense plan aimed at increasing interoperability between the armed forces of both countries.
Rubio highlighted Greece as a strategic ally of Washington in Europe and noted that the relationship between the two countries encompasses defense, energy, regional security, and immigration control.
In his speech, he also used as an example the agreement signed on September 22 between the United States, Denmark, and Greenland to enhance security in the Arctic. The pact expands U.S. military access and considers the possibility of establishing missile defense system capabilities related to the Golden Dome in Greenland.
Rubio presented this understanding as a demonstration that Washington and its European allies can reach agreements that simultaneously strengthen their national interests and collective security.
The secretary concluded his remarks by presenting the West with what he described as a pivotal moment.
"We find ourselves at a turning point, a turning point not only in the history of my nation but in that of our entire civilization. The threats we face today are as real as they were in the dramatic scenarios of antiquity," he stated.
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