Rubio says US wants strong Europe after Athens talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that Washington wanted strong European allies as he left Greece for Portugal on the final leg of a four-day European trip.

“We want a strong Europe. We want strong partners in Europe,” Rubio told reporters at Athens airport. He said stronger NATO members, including in society, the economy and the military, made the alliance stronger.

Rubio was in Greece on Wednesday for talks on energy, defence and cultural issues. He also announced a joint agreement on information-sharing on drug trafficking and terrorism.

In a speech beneath the Acropolis after talks with Greek officials, Rubio called on Europe to end what he described as a “long slumber” and said Western civilisation was at a crossroads between “national power” and decline.

The Trump administration has pushed NATO members to increase defence spending and take more responsibility for their security. At a summit in The Hague in June 2025, alliance members committed to investing 5 percent of GDP annually on defence by 2035.

Rubio began his trip late Monday in Iceland, where he sought greater US influence in the Arctic after Washington sealed a pact on Greenland.

Asked about US media reports of possible conflicts of interest involving US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, Rubio refused to answer but reiterated his support for her.