Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also referred to EU-US relations in an interview with SKAI TV on Monday evening. The Greek Premier said that he considers the United States a friend and stressed that Greece will continue to protect and defend its bilateral strategic relationship with Washington. He noted, however, that recent developments have served as a sharp and intense wake-up call for Europe.

As Mitsotakis noted, Greece has been ahead of developments on several occasions, citing the example of migration, when in 2020 the country closed its borders, a decision that was strongly criticised by part of the European elite at the time, but which Europe subsequently adopted a similar approach. He also referred to the discussion on the strategic autonomy of the European Union, pointing out that Greece had placed on the agenda the need to activate provisions of the Treaties, such as Article 42(7) on mutual assistance.

The Prime Minister stressed that Greece will be at the centre of the new European security architecture. He pointed out that, despite being a member of NATO, Europe must be prepared for any eventuality. The Greek Premier also referred to the discussion initiated by France on extending its nuclear deterrent “umbrella” to other European countries. He stressed that much will change in the coming period, but stressed that Greece will be at the heart of these developments without undermining its strategic relationship with the US, by actively participating in the debate on Europe’s strategic autonomy.
Mitsotakis referred to upcoming European Councils, which he described as crucial for competitiveness and energy issues.
He also expressed his belief that the Transatlantic relationship will be preserved.

The Greek Premier noted in the same interview that President Trump was right when he pointed out that Europe had not invested sufficiently in its defence, which had led to excessive dependence on the US. As Mitsotakis said, Greece, due to its particular geographical conditions, had never belonged to this category. He also noted that Europe had “woken up” and that, despite its slowness, the sense of urgency could lead to decisions that would have been extremely difficult in the past.