Speaking at the Pnyx in Athens on 7 October 2026, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on the West to rediscover the ambition, national pride and sense of duty that he associated with ancient Greek civilisation. He argued that Western countries had weakened themselves by abandoning their industrial capacity, allowing their militaries to deteriorate and transferring decision-making to international institutions. Presenting the coming decade as decisive for the West’s global standing, Rubio outlined the Trump administration’s pursuit of national power through reindustrialisation, stronger defence capabilities, secure supply chains and technological leadership. He urged the United States and Europe to strengthen their transatlantic alliance, increase defence cooperation and work together to address shared security challenges. Rubio maintained that alliances and international institutions should protect national sovereignty rather than undermine it, arguing that the West must recover its confidence in its historical legacy and its willingness to defend its national interests amid renewed great-power competition.