Rubio says US 'unapologetic' about power in warning to Europe

Eric Martin and Ellen Milligan, Bloomberg News on Oct 7, 2026

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio used a dramatic backdrop in Greece to remind the world of the Trump administration’s focus on the “unapologetic” pursuit of power, and issued another warning to Europe about the dangers of Western decline.

In a speech on a hill in front of the Acropolis in Athens, the top U.S. diplomat invoked Renaissance figures and Hellenic icons as he explained that the U.S. was intent on dominance and revival. He also criticized other Western nations for letting their militaries wither and for ceding sovereignty to global institutions.

Rubio said the West finds itself “at a crossroads” with the next decade set to determine whether it “maintains its place at the head of the world or resigns itself to a future of atrophy, servitude and decline.”

“The United States has made its choice,” Rubio said. “We choose the unapologetic pursuit of national power — to take back control of our critical supply chains, to re-industrialize our economy, to rebuild our defense, to fight for dominance of the technologies and industries of the future.”

Rubio delivered his speech from the Pnyx in Athens, a hillside that served as the meeting place of the ancient Athenian democratic assembly and symbolizes the birthplace of direct democracy.

Rubio didn’t single out a particular nation. But his warnings to Europe — part of a four-day trip to Greece, Iceland and Portugal focused on defense and security with fellow NATO members — echo past Trump administration critiques that have rankled European allies for their focus on cultural flashpoints, criticism of mass migration and the continent’s efforts to fight climate change.

The Trump administration has spent the last two years trying to influence Europe’s political direction, pressing some of its closest allies to increase defense spending, loosen regulations and emphasize Christian values and history.

“We believe that Europe can awaken from its long slumber and rekindle the fire that was lived here millennia ago,” Rubio said.

Rubio has tended to take a more measured approach to Europe than others in the Trump administration, while some such as Vice President JD Vance have accused countries of shutting out far-right political parties.

Concerns about China’s growing ambitions and the threat to Arctic security from China and Russia were another theme of Rubio’s visit to the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik on Tuesday, which follows a deal struck by President Donald Trump last month to expand the U.S. military presence in Greenland.

Tensions between Europe and the U.S. soared as Trump repeatedly threatened Greenland — a territory of Denmark — earlier this year. Relations have also been strained over the president’s tariffs, outreach to Russia and Europe’s reluctance to assist Trump’s war against Iran.

Rubio met with the Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis earlier Wednesday and extolled the virtues of the Mediterranean nation’s relationship with the U.S. He said the cooperation was valuable at a time of global uncertainty.

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