Editorial Ta Nea: Opportunity

Tomorrow’s meeting at the White House between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Greek PM’s scheduled address to a joint session of United States Congress are in and of themselves significant events, both in terms of symbolism and substance.

Their importance is even greater due to the global confluence of events after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting instability on the political, humanitarian, and energy fronts.

Every crisis, if handled properly, can be transformed into an opportunity.

The war in Ukraine dispelled delusions, awakened Europe, and led to a reawakening of NATO.

Two countries that maintained neutrality throughout the entire period of the Cold War – Finland and Sweden – are now seeking to become members of the North Atlantic Alliance in order to shield themselves from the designs of their powerful neighbour,

The geopolitical turbulence triggered by the war has highlighted Greece’s position as a pole of stability and trust.

One of the issues to be discussed by the two leaders is turning Greece into a hub for the transport of LNG to Europe.

The new security terrain that is emerging in Europe can be exploited in order to manage Greek-Turkish disputes in a realistic manner.

It was never in Greece’s interest for Turkey to be isolated and humiliated.

On the contrary, Ankara’s initiatives to bring about a cease-fire in Ukraine demonstrate first of all to Turkey itself how important it is to support international law and to root out revisionism and expansionism, whatever their national stripe.
In that context, the ratification by the Greek Parliament of the US-Greece Mutual Defence Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) was not a necessary evil, but rather a weapon.

It does not constitute an act of subjugation of a “predictable partner” that is taken for granted.

It reflects the strategic orientation of a country that stands firmly on its own feet, does not fear its opponents, and puts trust in its allies.