Officials at the Greek Prime Minister’s office are carefully analyzing the political landscape taking shape in Washington following the U.S. midterm elections. Kyriakos Mitsotakis knows well that Congress holds decisive influence over U.S. defense and foreign policy — which is precisely why, as far back as the summer of 2019, he made it a priority to build strong relationships with key figures in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, spanning both Republican and Democratic aisles.
It is worth noting that the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees of both chambers must approve any current or future military equipment sale to a foreign country — including both Greece and Turkey. “Greek-American strategic relations are at their best point ever. And one must understand that when we talk about Greece’s strategic relations with the United States, we are not referring only to our relationship with President Trump and his office. We are also referring to longstanding and stable ties we maintain with Congress and the other centers of power in the United States,” the Prime Minister had characteristically emphasized in a recent interview.
The critical role of Alexandra Papadopoulou and Katerina Nasika
The intricacies of Washington’s complex political landscape are well known to Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandra Papadopoulou and Katerina Nasika, Director of the Prime Minister’s diplomatic office — both of whom have recently served as Greek Ambassadors to Washington. Meanwhile, since 2024, the Greek government has taken a notable policy step forward by engaging the BGR Group, one of Washington’s most prominent lobbying firms, bringing a more professional and strategic approach to its engagement with the American government.
Seven Greek Americans elected to Congress — from both parties
It is a positive development for Greece that seven Greek Americans were elected to Congress, representing both major political parties. Running as Republicans are Gus Bilirakis (Florida), Nicole Malliotakis (New York), Mike Haridopolos (Florida), and Jimmy Patronis (Florida), while Dina Titus (Nevada) and Margaret “Maggie” Goodlander (New Hampshire) won their seats as Democrats. Of particular significance was the victory of Chris Pappas, who chose to leave the House of Representatives and successfully ran for the Senate, continuing to represent New Hampshire under the Democratic Party banner.
Mitsotakis’ strategic goals
The broader picture remains consistent: Kyriakos Mitsotakis is steadily working with his institutional counterparts across the Atlantic to secure recognition of Greece’s enhanced role in the wider region — as a pillar of stability, peace, and security, and as an indispensable, reliable partner and ally that has demonstrated seriousness, consistency, and alliance spirit in navigating all the major crises of recent years.
On the defense procurement front specifically, Greece has an active agreement for fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, with the first aircraft expected to arrive in 2029. The Hellenic Air Force is also upgrading its F-16s to the top-tier Viper configuration — the 60th modernized F-16 Viper was recently delivered through a collaboration between Lockheed Martin and the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI), marking the completion of 70% of the fleet upgrade program. Additionally, Greece has taken delivery of three MH-60 Romeo helicopters with four more on the way, and a new cooperation framework is launching between the Greek Armed Forces and the Florida National Guard under the State Partnership Program, which provides for joint training activities and enhanced interoperability.
“Greek-American relations will remain strong”
“Greek-American relations will remain strong. The United States of America is our strategic ally. That will continue. All major projects, all major agreements — none of that will be affected by this result. It goes without saying that we respect every electoral outcome. The conclusions are clear,” government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis stated yesterday.
