US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Athens on Wednesday for the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, calling Gree...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Athens on Wednesday for the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, calling Greece "a source of stability in an unstable world" and warning that the birthplace of Western civilization cannot be left exposed to bad decisions or inaction. Standing alongside Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rubio praised Greece for its defense spending trajectory, noting the country is on track to hit 5% of GDP on defense this year, with more than 3.5% going to core military spending. That figure puts Greece among the highest-spending NATO allies. The two sides announced a new memorandum of understanding creating a joint security program for counterterrorism information sharing between US and Greek law enforcement. Rubio also highlighted Greece's strategic position at the crossroads of Mediterranean migration and trafficking routes, calling it a key partner on border security and combating transnational criminal networks. On defense hardware, Gerapetritis confirmed that the upgrade of Greece's F-16s to the Viper configuration is proceeding alongside the planned acquisition of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets. Both officials framed these moves as strengthening not just Greek defense capabilities but the broader bilateral military relationship. Energy was a major pillar of the talks. Gerapetritis said cooperation had reached an "unprecedented level," pointing to Greece's role in the Vertical Corridor, which serves as the main artery for delivering US liquefied natural gas to Central and Eastern Europe. Rubio tied energy security directly to national security, saying the world cannot afford a situation where cutting off one supply route threatens everyone. On Cyprus, Gerapetritis called the island an essential part of the regional security architecture and stressed that any settlement must be grounded in international law. Asked about the use of Souda Bay for US operations, Gerapetritis said Greece's approach to armed conflicts is rooted in supporting the party defending itself against aggression, not in blanket base access commitments. Gerapetritis also noted that Greece has led the EU's ...