Athens [Greece], October 8 (ANI): United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Europe to emerge from a "long slumber" and boost its military and economic power, utilising an address in Athens to assert that Western nations stand at a crucial turning point.
Delivering his remarks to senior Greek officials at Pnyx Hill near the Acropolis, Rubio referenced classical Greece as the foundation of Western democracy, noting that Europe holds the chance to revive the strength of its ancient heritage.
"We believe that Europe can awaken from its long slumber and rekindle the fire that was lit here millennia ago," Rubio said, praising ancient Greece's civilisation as the cradle of Western democracy.
"Across this continent, we are witnessing what we hope will be the beginning of a generational shift, skyrocketing defence spending, a flurry of new partnerships and programmes, expanded manufacturing and production, following on the historic defence commitments" made last year at the NATO Summit in The Hague, he noted.
Nevertheless, Rubio cautioned that Western societies currently find themselves "at a crossroads", teetering between "national power" and decay.
The ancient Greeks "understood that power requires not only having the means to defend yourself, but it also requires the credibility that you are willing to use it," he stated.
"This is the classical understanding of politics and of statecraft that the Trump administration hopes to reclaim... not just for our country, but for the whole of our civilisation," said the former senator, who is regarded as a potential successor to Donald Trump.
Rubio asserted that choices executed over the upcoming decade will dictate the trajectory of the next hundred years, contending that the West must determine whether it will maintain its standing atop global affairs or succumb to "atrophy, servitude, and decline".
According to Rubio, Washington under President Donald Trump has already made its selection.
He noted that the US government is actively pursuing national power via tighter oversight of vital supply chains, the reindustrialisation of domestic markets, the reconstruction of military capabilities, and fierce competition for supremacy in future technological sectors.
His address drew extensively upon historical figures, with Rubio lauding ancient personalities such as Alexander the Great alongside Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.
These statements follow an address delivered in February during which Rubio warned that European nations confronted threats stemming from mass migration, simultaneously calling on the continent to safeguard Christian civilisation.
Earlier on Wednesday, Rubio, who arrived in Greece from Iceland as part of a European visit, underscored the significance of bilateral ties with Athens.
He spotlighted collaboration within the energy sector and unveiled a bilateral pact aimed at sharing intelligence regarding terrorism and drug smuggling.
Rubio also engaged in a strategic dialogue with Greece addressing regional and energy security amid ongoing tensions tied to the wars involving Iran and Ukraine. Later that day, he was hosted by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Rubio remarked that Greece's geographical standing in the Mediterranean, positioned at the convergence of multiple transit corridors, exposes the nation acutely to migration challenges, human trafficking, and various security threats.
The conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine have likewise revealed vulnerabilities within energy distribution networks, even as Greece endeavours to position itself as a primary energy hub for southeastern Europe, specifically concerning natural gas.
Newly operational pipelines and port facilities have enabled Greece to support an energy transit path stretching across eastern Europe towards Ukraine.
Rubio is slated to wrap up his European visit with a stop in Portugal on Thursday. (ANI)
Rubio urges Europe to “awaken from long slumber”, calls for stronger Western power
