Rubio reaffirms US-Greek strategic importance in meeting with Gerapetritis

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reaffirmed the strategic importance of the US-Greece partnership in a meeting with his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis.

The two men held talks just hours after the fiery spat between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which Gerapetritis described as a “public confrontation.”

In a statement issued after his meeting with Rubio at the State Department in Washington on Friday, Gerapetritis said he told interlocutor that “Europe remains committed to a just and sustainable solution for the Ukrainian people.”

“And regardless of the public confrontation that has occurred today, Europe remains obligated to upgrade its defense infrastructure. But the support of the United States is necessary.”

Gerapetritis said bilateral relations, regional cooperation and the international environment were at the center of the meeting.

“We discussed the strategic relationship that connects Greece with the United States. The very high point that these bilateral relations are at today and the scope that exists to develop them even further with the new American administration at all levels, in the economy, in tourism, in trade, in energy, in relations between people,” he said.

In its announcement on the meeting between the two ministers, the State Department said Rubio reaffirmed the strategic importance of the US-Greece partnership, emphasizing that Greece is a “valued NATO ally and critical to regional stability.”

It said the two ministers discussed the importance of “confronting illegal immigration.” In addition, the United States applauded Greece’s strong commitment to meeting NATO defense spending obligations.

Finally, the State Department statement noted that Rubio welcomed Greece’s presence on the UN Security Council for the 2025-2026 term.