He then assessed that during the first meeting “Soviet communism was on the attack” and “thousands of years of Western civilization were hanging in the balance.” — At that time, victory was not certain, but we were guided by a common goal. We were united not only by what we fought against, but also by what we fought for – he emphasized.
The US Secretary of State added: “The euphoria of this triumph has led us into the dangerous delusion that we have entered the 'end of history' and that every nation will now be democratic, that bonds forged solely through trade will replace nationality, that a rules-based global order – an overused term – will replace the national interest, and that we will live in a world without borders in which everyone will become a global citizen.
He later said it was “a stupid idea” that “ignores human nature and ignores the lessons of over 5,000 years of recorded human history.”. “It cost us a lot,” he added.
What did Marco Rubio say about the UN?
What mistakes did Rubio point out in post-war policy?
What connections between the US and Europe did Rubio highlight?
What does the US want to achieve in relations with Europe?
Rubio criticizes mass migration and deindustrialization
The American Secretary of State pointed out the post-war mistakes that Europe and the United States made.
Marco Rubio stated that “under the influence of this illusion, we have adopted a dogmatic vision of free and unlimited trade.” Countries, he said, had deindustrialized by relocating jobs, which put “adversaries and rivals” in control.
— We increasingly entrust our sovereignty to international institutions, while many countries invest in extensive welfare states at the expense of maintaining the ability to defend themselves. – he continued.
The US Secretary of State also criticized the “green” policy, which is intended to “appease the climate cult”. According to him, “they are impoverishing our nation while our competitors exploit oil, coal and natural gas.”
Rubio on historical connections between Europe and the USA
However, as he said, The US wants a strong Europe because they know that “Europe's fate will never matter to ours [amerykańskiego] national security”.
He then again criticized deindustrialization and mass migration, presenting them as a threat to Europe. — This is not a sign of xenophobia. It's not hate. This is a fundamental act of national sovereignty, and failure to do so is not merely an abdication of one of our most fundamental responsibilities to our nation. This poses an urgent threat to the structure of our societies and the survival of our civilization – he said.
Rubio criticizes the UN
During his speech, the American Secretary of State also criticized the UN and said that it must be urgently reformed. According to Rubio, the UN has “enormous potential” – but it was unable to end the war in Ukraine or the Gaza Strip and did not take decisive steps like the US. — In an ideal world, all these problems and many more would be solved by diplomats and decisive resolutions. But we don't live in a perfect world and We can no longer allow those who openly and brazenly threaten our citizens and threaten global stability to hide behind abstract provisions of international law that they routinely violate.ą – he noted.
Then he returned to recalling the post-war history of Europe and appealed for “rejecting the collapse” as it happened after World War II. “Then, as now, many believed that the era of Western domination was over and that our future would be a faint and insignificant echo of the past,” he said. He also appealed to “reject collapse”, which “is a choice”.
— We want allies who are proud of their culture and heritage, who understand that we are heirs of the same great and noble civilization and who, together with us, are willing and able to defend it. That's why we don't want allies to rationalize the broken status quo instead of considering what needs to be done to fix it. Because we in America are not interested in being polite and orderly custodians of the controlled decline of the West, he said firmly.
Rubio on the future of US-Europe relations
He also noted that the US does not want the transatlantic alliance to collapse. — At a time when headlines announce the end of the transatlantic era, let it be known and clear to all that this is neither our goal nor our wish, because For us Americans, our home may be in the Western Hemisphere, but we will always be a child of Europe – he emphasized. Rubio again pointed to the historical connections between the Old Continent and the United States.
He concluded by saying that the United States is “leading the way to a new century of prosperity,” but it wants to do it together with Europe.
