Marco Rubio Urges Western Renewal During NATO Tour in Athens

Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Athens on Wednesday as part of a three-nation NATO tour including stops in Iceland and Portugal. Delivering a major address from the Pnyx near the Acropolis, Rubio called for Western nations to restore their civilizational roots and traditional values, arguing that nations should prioritize loyalty to their own people over the global community. He warned that the next decade would determine whether the West maintains global leadership or faces a future of atrophy and servitude.

During the visit, Rubio announced a memorandum of understanding with Greece to establish a joint security program for counterterrorism information sharing. He praised Greece as a model NATO ally, noting its progress toward meeting President Trump's demand that allies spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense. The two nations agreed to increase cooperation to combat human trafficking and mass migration, including joint work between Greek troops and Florida National Guard units. Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis also expressed Greece's willingness to provide maritime aid in the Strait of Hormuz, provided a viable peace process exists.

The diplomatic mission was marked by tension, including protests from left-wing groups in Athens. The visit was further overshadowed by congressional probes into U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, who faces allegations of promoting private business interests and suggesting the U.S. could undermine the Greek government. Rubio defended Guilfoyle during a joint press conference, maintaining that the embassy is performing well.