Barack Obama has jetted out on his final overseas visit as President as he seeks to reassure US allies ahead of Donald Trump's administration.
The President waved to gathered crowds as he departed for Athens on Monday.
Earlier Obama said he would reassure the country's allies that the Republican President-elect plans to maintain core US strategic relationships around the world, including with NATO .
Trump slammed NATO allies during the campaign for not paying enough for their own defence and suggested the US was paying a disproportionate amount that was too much given the changes in the world.
He also told the Washington Post the United States could not fund NATO at current levels.
Trump's comments echoed longstanding US complaints that too many NATO allies do not live up to their pledge to spend 2 percent of gross domestic product on defence.
Only the United States and four other NATO allies - Greece, Britain, Estonia and Poland - met the goal last year. France and Turkey have been close.
Despite Trump's criticism of NATO spending during the campaign, Obama said the president-elect, who takes office on January 20, had indicated he was committed to maintaining ties with US allies.
The European Union agreed on a new defence plan on Monday that could see it sending rapid response forces abroad for the first time, a move seen as giving it the ability to act without the United States if necessary.
The action appeared to be galvanized in part by Trump's criticism.
Obama is visiting Greece, Germany and Peru on his last trip abroad as president.
He is expected to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other European leaders in Germany and Greece.
In Peru he will see Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Pacific leaders at an economic summit.
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