Rubio urges European allies to raise defense spending and reassert power during Athens visit

Speech at the Acropolis

Speaking from the Pnyx hill with the Acropolis of Athens in the background on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on European nations to recover classical Western values and reject what he characterized as a period of cultural and geopolitical decline. Rubio argued that Western civilization stands at an inflection point where nations must choose immediate action to maintain global influence. He presented the Trump administration's foreign policy as an unapologetic application of national strength, pointing to economic reindustrialization, defense reinforcement, and control over critical supply chains.

We believe that Europe can awaken from its long slumber and rekindle the fire that was lit here millennia ago.

Rubio also rejected the premise that enlightened foreign policy requires placing international institutions ahead of domestic citizens. He maintained that ancient Greek city-states recognized that national loyalty and defending self-interest were fundamental duties.

Defense agreements and spending targets

During his stop in Athens, Rubio held a closed-door meeting with Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis to negotiate bilateral defense and energy pacts. Rubio praised Greece for increasing military investments, noting that Athens is on track to meet the benchmark established by President Donald Trump requiring NATO members to spend at least 5% of gross domestic product on defense. The Trump administration has examined measures to penalize allies that fail to reach this spending threshold while rewarding those that accelerate defense budgets.

One thing we agree on, for example, is that the nations of Europe need to take on a greater share of the burden defending their continent, and Greece is doing just that.

The bilateral discussions produced agreements to expand security cooperation, including an intelligence-sharing program focused on terrorist threats. The two governments also arranged joint operations connecting Greek armed forces with Florida National Guard units.

Border security and national identity

Rubio framed security cooperation as part of a broader effort to tighten controls on global migration, a core priority of the current US administration. He identified Greece as a strategic partner in combating unauthorized immigration and dismantling transnational criminal networks operating across the Mediterranean. Rubio connected migration flows to what he described as the erosion of traditional cultural values across Europe and North America. He argued that sovereign states must maintain their distinctive identities rather than deferring to multinational frameworks.

Protests and European tour itinerary

Rubio's appearance in Athens was met with public opposition, as approximately 1,500 demonstrators gathered in the capital to protest the US visit and the war in Iran. The demonstration was organized by a communist trade union alongside left-wing political factions. Similar protests occurred across at least 12 other cities in Greece, reflecting domestic political opposition from left-wing groups to military cooperation with the United States.

Athens served as the second stop on Rubio's three-nation tour of NATO allies, which began earlier in the week in Iceland. Following the conclusion of his meetings in Greece, the secretary of state departs for Portugal to complete the diplomatic circuit.