Greece’s PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis attempted a balancing act between the US and Europe over Ukraine speaking to Bloomberg on Thursday.
Mitsotakis was careful not to be seen directly criticizing President Trump who on Wednesday labeled Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky “a dictator”, but stressed that any solution to the war cannot be achieved without Ukraine.
“President Trump is a smart man and has his own unique way of expressing himself,” the prime minister commented when asked about the description of “dictator” that the US president attributed to the Ukrainian president.
“Overall, we must agree on certain basic issues. We need peace, we agree on this with our American friends. There can be no solution for Ukraine without the involvement of Ukraine,” he noted about the developments in Ukraine and added that “Europe must do what is necessary for its own security, not only for the security of Ukraine.”
US policy on Ukraine presents a challenge for Greece
The shift in US policy under President Trump toward the war in Ukraine, Russia, and Europe presents a novel challenge for Greece and its diplomacy.
Since the end of WWII, Greece has been closely allied to the West including the US and Europe. It did not have to choose between the two. Now Athens is navigating a complex diplomatic challenge, balancing its commitment to the European Union with its long-standing relationship with the US.
“I have always been in favor of the view that Europe should set its own defense priorities. We need to increase resources for defense and we need greater fiscal flexibility in Europe on this issue,” Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized elsewhere, also expressing the view that “we should also examine the issue of the European missile shield.”
“We are in a phase of awakening. When Trump said that in Europe we do not spend much on defense, he was right. We need budgetary flexibility for defense and this decision can be taken at the next summit in March,” he added, adding that “these resources should not come only from national budgets but a combination of European and national resources is required.”
Mitsotakis clarified that he remains a supporter of the Euro-Atlantic alliance, noting at the same time that “sometimes our American friends may express themselves differently, but when they tell us that we need to do more for European security, they are right.”
Related: What Has the United States Ever Done for Greece?