Rubio calls for "unapologetic pursuit of national power," invoking ancient Greece in Acropolis speech, tell me about this news today

In a major speech delivered in Athens near the Acropolis, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for an “unapologetic pursuit of national power” and urged European allies to “awaken from its long slumber”.

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Speaking during a European tour that included stops in Iceland, Greece, and Portugal, Rubio framed the Trump administration’s “America First” agenda within a shared Western civilizational heritage. Drawing on ancient Greek history and values like heroism, honor, and duty, he argued that Western nations had weakened themselves by outsourcing industries, opening borders, and allowing militaries to decay.

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Key highlights of his speech included:

• National Power and Sovereignty: Rubio explicitly stated, “We choose the unapologetic pursuit of national power: to take back control of our critical supply chains, to reindustrialise our economy, to rebuild our defence, to fight for dominance of the technologies and industries of the future.”

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• Geopolitical Realities: He pointed to a world marked by resurgent great-power competition, terrorism, and new vulnerabilities, telling European allies that they must rebuild their institutions and alliances to face these shared threats together.

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• Cultural and Historical Appeal: Invoking ancient Greece, he suggested that nations do not need to abandon their distinct identities to recognize common interests, touching on themes of national identity, border security, and shared Western roots.

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The address has drawn widespread attention for aligning modern nationalist foreign policy concepts with classical European history and philosophy.