US President Donald Trump (2-R) arrives to deliver remarks during a governors working session in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 21 February 2025. [Francis Chung/EPA]
There was a Greek politician back in the 1980s who had a big map of the Aegean hung up on a wall in his office and every time he received an important foreign visitor, he would use the map to explain the history and legal dimensions of Greece’s dispute with Turkey and the nature of the Turkish threat. One such guest was an American senator, a member of a prominent business family, who viewed everything through the lens of business. When the briefing ended, the Greek politician asked his guest if he had any questions. The senator replied, “Since you’ve got so many hundreds of islands, why don’t you just give them a few and be done with it?” It was a shocking comment that completely ignored the history of the archipelago, disregarded the people who have lived there for centuries and brushed aside international law, among other things.
We should not be surprised by a similar comment nowadays, as international law no longer shapes the American point of view toward foreign policy. President Donald Trump’s approach is blatantly transactional. He’s trying to force a deal onto Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in much the same way the Allies did to Germany in Versailles. He’s got his eye on Greenland, Gaza and the Panama Canal. His admiration for strong, authoritarian leaders makes him view the world as a never-ending business negotiation where the most powerful party has the upper hand and must win, no matter who is right or wrong. This approach to regional disputes is very dangerous for Greek interests, both in the case of Cyprus and the Aegean. US presidents used to intervene in a crisis to prevent a rift in the Western Alliance. Now what kind of alliance is there to talk about?
So, where does this leave Greece? Greece needs to start thinking transactionally, too, to the degree that this is possible. Trump waits to hear what he has to gain – in raw materials, in investment opportunities, in tangible trade-offs – before making a decision. The port at Alexandroupoli, an effective strategic selling point during Biden’s time, no longer holds the same appeal. The only argument that still carries weight is the importance of American installations in Greece for the US umbrella protecting Israel – with the hope that its powerful allies exert their influence on the White House.
Generally, though, this is a time when it is best to avoid tensions and crises. Europe is in a state of shock, divided and absent. The last thing it wants or can handle is tension in this region. If any crisis lands on Trump’s desk, the response might be quite terrifying.
There are other reasons to worry, though, beyond global developments. Greece is back in a state of political flux, incredible toxicity and polarization. It is the kind of moment that Ankara usually chooses to pick a fight with Athens or test its mettle. We’ve seen it happen many times in the past when we were busy tearing each other’s eyes out or rocked by instability. Turkey always takes advantage of such situations to advance its plans.
The question “What can Greece do?” is bound to be a doozy in the world that is emerging right now. There are no easy answers when the risks and uncertainties are so overwhelming. We haven’t been able to “clinch” the United States as Israel has so successfully done, rendering it a strong, lifelong ally, no matter who is president. Nor have we succeeded in becoming a country that is as strong and independent as its history, pride and potential demands. We’re going to have to make some tough decisions down the line – as is Europe – if we hope to survive in this new jungle.