Marco Rubio visits Portugal to discuss NATO and bilateral cooperation

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio conducted an official visit to Lisbon, marking the final stop of a European tour that included Iceland and Greece. During his visit, Rubio met with Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel to discuss defense, economy, and technology.

Rubio emphasized the necessity for NATO allies to increase defense investment, noting that Portugal has met the target of spending 2% of its GDP on defense. He also highlighted growing economic cooperation between the two nations, including American investments in Portugal and Portuguese companies operating in the United States.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, Rubio advocated for a negotiated solution and warned against military escalations that could expand the conflict into a larger regional war. The visit took place amid local protests in Lisbon, where approximately 300 people demonstrated against U.S. foreign policy.