Rubio, 'the United States wants a strong Europe'

"We want our allies to be strong. The stronger they are, the stronger we are collectively (...) We want a strong Europe. We want solid partners in Europe." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this to journalists at Athens airport, before leaving for Portugal, the last stop on his European tour which began this week in Iceland. “The stronger individual NATO members are – socially, economically and militarily – the stronger NATO is,” he said.

The Trump administration has long encouraged NATO members to increase defense spending and take greater responsibility for their own security. "Many countries have stepped up their efforts. Frankly, the Germans are doing their part to strengthen themselves," Rubio said today. "I think there are positive signs in a lot of different areas where this is happening. And of course there are some countries that are slower, and I know they're under a lot of pressure internally. However, I think it's good for all of them," Rubio said.