US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is heading to Iceland, Greece, and Portugal on October 5-8 for talks on security, defense, energy, economic cooperation, and technology as NATO allies face growing security concerns over Russia’s military activity and continued Middle East instability.
Rubio will begin in Reykjavik, where he is expected to discuss Arctic security and economic cooperation with Icelandic officials.
He will then travel to Athens for the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, with defense cooperation, energy, regional security, Ukraine, and the Middle East on the agenda.
In Lisbon, his talks will focus on defense, economic development, and technology cooperation, according to the State Department.
The three stops include different areas of US cooperation with NATO allies, from Iceland’s role in North Atlantic and Arctic security to Greece’s position in the Eastern Mediterranean and Portugal’s long-standing importance to US military operations in the Atlantic.
Iceland: Security And The Arctic
Iceland has no standing army but has long cooperated with the US and NATO on security because of its location in the North Atlantic.
Two former US ambassadors to Iceland — who spoke on the condition of anonymity — told RFE/RL that Rubio should expect Reykjavik to be receptive to further security cooperation, while also listening to the concerns of a country that places a high value on its independence.
“Icelanders are a fiercely independent people,” one ambassador said, adding that there has been continued US-Icelandic security cooperation since Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014.
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Separately, Robert Gerber, a former US diplomat who served at the US Embassy in Iceland, said Rubio’s visit could follow up on commitments discussed at a September meeting of Arctic countries on the margins of the UN General Assembly.
Those discussions included commitments by Arctic partners to take greater responsibility for their own security and the protection of critical infrastructure.
Gerber also pointed to his own experience in Iceland to illustrate the security concerns facing the country.
“When I was in Iceland on a regular basis, Russian aircraft or bombers or whatever would fly toward Iceland, do a loop of the island, and then fly back just to see how fast NATO planes would scramble,” Gerber told RFE/RL.
“The threat is real there, and it’s been there for a long time,” Gerber said, adding that submarine warfare in the region is also a continuing concern.
Iceland’s contribution to NATO differs from that of larger allies, Gerber said. The country hosts Keflavik Air Base, has contributed to Ukraine, and provides maritime and search-and-rescue capabilities through its Coast Guard.
Gerber said the protection of undersea telecommunications cables linking North America and Europe could also be an area for greater cooperation.
Russians In The Arctic
“Those obviously need to be hardened and protected because the Russians are up to all kinds of things in the Arctic,” he said. Iceland’s Coast Guard, including its ships and helicopters, could also be important in an Arctic crisis, he added.
Gerber said he did not expect Rubio to persuade Iceland to make a major change in its defense spending. “Iceland’s economy is relatively small,” Gerber said, adding that the country’s approach to security is also shaped by its independent political outlook.
Eric Green, a former White House National Security Council official who also served as deputy chief of mission in Iceland, said Icelandic officials would also be looking for reassurance from Washington.
“It’s positive that Secretary Rubio is visiting NATO countries,” Green told RFE/RL, adding that Icelandic officials would want reassurance that Washington was no longer interested in making claims on Greenland based on what he called “spurious accusations.”
Green also said Iceland, a strong supporter of Ukraine, would welcome indications that Washington intends to do more to help Ukraine and Europe as Russia continues its war.
The Arctic has also become a focus of competition as melting ice opens new maritime routes and increases interest in the region’s resources.
The former ambassador said Russia has strengthened its military presence along its Arctic coast, while China has sought to expand its presence through port, research and other initiatives in Iceland.
Greece: Defense, Energy, Regional Security
In Athens, Rubio will lead the US delegation at the sixth US-Greece Strategic Dialogue on October 6-7.
The dialogue, launched in 2018, provides a framework for cooperation on defense, energy, and other issues. The talks are expected to include the facilities and support Greece provides under the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement, as well as developments in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Geoffrey Pyatt, a former assistant secretary of state for energy resources and former US ambassador to Greece and Ukraine, said the dialogue was established as a way to advance bilateral cooperation independently of other regional relationships.
“When we created the Strategic Dialogue during my tenure as ambassador, the whole idea was to create a forum to advance the strong agenda of bilateral cooperation topics independent of any other regional relationships,” Pyatt told RFE/RL.
He said military cooperation, energy opportunities, and people-to-people ties, including education and investment, have remained consistent across Republican and Democratic administrations.
Pyatt also pointed to Greece’s commitment to its European and transatlantic relationships. “Greece remains strongly committed to its European identity including the firm commitment to the transatlantic relationship,” he said.
Rubio’s final stop will be Lisbon, where the State Department says he will discuss defense, economic development and technology cooperation with the country’s leadership.
Portugal’s role in US security cooperation includes the Azores, where Lajes Air Base has long provided an important logistical and refueling location for US military operations in the Atlantic.
By RFE/RL
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