US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back hard on the idea that Kimberly Guilfoyle's exit from the Athens embassy si...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back hard on the idea that Kimberly Guilfoyle's exit from the Athens embassy signals any cooling in relations between Washington and Greece. Speaking to Breitbart News on October 15, Rubio said Greece is too important to the United States to leave in the hands of anyone who doesn't have direct access to President Trump. "Greece is an important country, very important. They're a great ally of the United States," Rubio said. He added that Greece has helped Washington in countless ways and remains central to American plans going forward, placing Greece firmly in the category of forward-looking strategic priorities rather than legacy partnerships. Rubio was blunt about why the search for a new ambassador is taking time. He said the position demands someone with the president's complete trust, which makes the selection process slower and more deliberate. "In no way should any of this be viewed as a de-emphasizing of the Greek relationship," he said. "On the contrary, I think it's so important to us that it is important that the person there have the complete support and confidence of the president." No candidate has been named and no timetable was given. Rubio said a capable team would keep the Athens embassy running through the transition period. Beyond the ambassador question, Rubio praised Greece for raising its defense spending without being pushed by Washington, a point that landed well given the Trump administration's ongoing pressure on NATO allies to meet spending targets. He also described Greece as a natural energy corridor, saying the country can move gas north into Europe and south toward Israel and the wider Middle East. The discussion included the Vertical Corridor project, designed to carry American LNG from Greece toward Ukraine and other European markets. Rubio called Greece's geographic and political position "very unique," describing it as the connecting link between Europe, Africa and the Middle East. #Greece #USGreece #MarcoRubio