Rubio in Athens defends Trump's 'America first' approach

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave a sweeping speech in Athens on Wednesday, with the Parthenon as his backdrop, defending Donald Trump's 'America first' foreign policy. The event was heavily produced, with four cameras including one on a crane, which is unusual for a top US diplomat on a trip that took in Iceland, Portugal and finally Greece.

Historical parallels

Rubio drew links between the thinkers, founders and conquerors of antiquity and the modern American spirit, and referred to his own family's journey to the United States. He described himself as a great-grandson of settlers who came to the New World from Spain. His reading of history was selective: among the figures he cited were Christopher Columbus and Hernán Cortés, whose legacies are associated with the subjugation of Latin America.

The secretary of state urged Europe to 'awaken from its long slumber' and reject a future of atrophy, servitude and decline. He said the western world stood at a crossroads and that, under Trump, the US had chosen the unapologetic pursuit of national power: taking back control of critical supply chains, reindustrialising the economy, rebuilding defence and competing for dominance in the technologies and industries of the future.

Strains between the US and Europe

The speech came as relations with Europe face pressure from the US war in Iran, inconsistent American support for Ukraine, disputes inside Nato including Trump's demands for sovereignty over Greenland, and a widening ideological divide. Rubio quoted Abraham Lincoln's 1861 inaugural address, saying passions must not be allowed to break the bonds between the US and Europe. He also praised the recent agreement between the US, Denmark and Greenland, which he said would reshape the Arctic and bolster Nato's security.

Rubio addressed about 250 invited Greek and European officials and journalists. He urged European allies to follow the example of Greece's government, which he called a model ally on energy, migration and defence, and pointed to rising European defence spending as a positive trend.

According to the source, the speech suggests that the shift in US geopolitical posture could outlast the current presidency, since two of the most prominent Republican officials in the administration have told Europe there will be no return to the politics of the past.