Rubio praises U.S.’s ‘unapologetic pursuit of national power’, calls on Europe to ‘rekindle the fire’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has delivered a speech in Athens, calling on Europe to "rekindle the fire" of Western civilisation. He praised ancient Greece as the cradle of Western democracy and urged Europeans to awaken from their "long slumber".

Rubio emphasised the importance of national power, stating that the course taken by the West will determine whether it maintains its place at the head of the world or declines into atrophy, servitude, and decline. According to Semafor, this speech comes as US forces are pulling back from Europe and the Gulf, with recent withdrawals from bases in the UK, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar.

Rubio's comments were reported by multiple outlets, with the South China Morning Post noting that he highlighted a "generational shift" in Europe, including increased defence spending, new partnerships, and expanded manufacturing. He also stressed that power requires not only the means to defend oneself but also the credibility to use it.

Brief written by urgent.news from National Post, Semafor, South China Morning Post — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.