Marco Rubio says higher defense budgets are a sign Europe is "confronting the threats of our age"

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Greece, pointed to higher defense budgets as a sign of renewed European military commitment. He cited last year's NATO pledge, backed by Britain and others, to raise military spending to 5% of economic output by 2035, prompted by concerns about Russia and China and by President Donald Trump's calls for allies to shoulder more of their own security. Rubio also noted strain in US-Europe relations but argued the transatlantic alliance should be preserved and strengthened to meet shared security challenges. He mentioned a recent US-Denmark-Greenland Arctic agreement as a cooperative success. The remarks come as Britain faces pressure to explain how it will reach the target, with reports that Prime Minister Andy Burnham may delay an announcement on a funding milestone.