The information conveyed on Tuesday by US Ambassador to Athens, Kimberly Guilfoyle, about an upcoming visit to our country by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, is generating intense interest, as he is one of the most powerful figures in the White House. However, the exact date of his arrival has not yet been determined.
Trump’s interest
The scenario currently on the table, according to Ms. Guilfoyle’s statements, has Pete Hegseth visiting our country in the coming months. However, as reliable sources from both Athens and Washington tell parapolitika.gr, so far there is nothing definitive and scheduled for any visit by a US government official to our country, nor anything related to the American President. Nevertheless, Donald Trump has expressed interest in coming to Athens, while the Greek Prime Minister has extended the relevant invitation. Kimberly Guilfoyle is also working toward this direction. The main inhibiting factor remains the military conflict in Iran, which does not allow for safe planning of such visits. This is also the reason for the continuous postponement of the Greece-US Strategic Dialogue, which would be attended by US Secretary of State Mark Rubio and was originally scheduled for December 2025.
However, the arrival of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remains a realistic scenario, as it coincides with the NATO Summit in Ankara, where the Trump administration is expected to clarify its intentions for the future of the Atlantic Alliance. In such a case, the visit would gain strong symbolism for Greek-American relations.
Greece as a “pivotal pillar” for the US
As strategic analyst at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy Konstantinos Lambropoulos argues to parapolitika.gr, “Greece today emerges as a key pillar of the new security architecture of the United States. Greece is valued by the US for the support it provides, which is not only political support, but mainly concerns infrastructure and bases. Let’s not forget that the United States, especially after developments with Iran, has experienced friction with European NATO member countries, such as Spain, Germany, Italy and Britain. They are now seeking to relocate some bases so as not to be caught off guard again since conflicts in the Middle East have not ended and are in a state of temporary cessation. There is thinking about relocating American bases that currently exist in Europe to willing countries, to US allies who have not developed this anti-American rhetoric and political practice, as Spain, Italy and Germany have done.”
The choice of Athens as a pivotal stop before the Alliance’s critical consultations in Turkey highlights Greece’s role as a reliable US partner in the Southeastern Mediterranean. And this concerns not only the further deepening of defense and strategic cooperation, but interest extends to the energy sector and the creation of the IMEC trade corridor. According to Mr. Lambropoulos, “it is evident that the Vertical Corridor is being pursued, in which Greece plays a clear strategic role, and also the IMEC is being pursued, in which Greece is also an integral part, both of which bypass Turkey.”
