Mike Pompeo focused on close US-Greece relations, Turkey’s exclusion from the F-35 program, and current geopolitical developments in an interview with Economist Impact SE Europe Events, as part of the 29th Economist Round Table Discussion with the Greek government held in Lagonisi.
“The US ability to project power in the broader region depends on close cooperation with the Greek government. The Alexandroupolis project is extremely valuable. I see no reason for this to change in Trump’s second term. The President understands the importance of the relationship with Greece,” emphasized the former US Secretary of State.
“It made no sense to us that the Turks acquired Russian air defense systems while being NATO allies. We imposed real costs on them for their choice,” he said characteristically when discussing Ankara’s exclusion from the F-35 program. He noted that “an element of Turkish leadership does not want to be part of the West and we must convince them otherwise.”
Pompeo on NATO, Iran and Gaza
Pompeo answered with a categorical monosyllabic “yes” to the question of whether the US remains committed to NATO’s Article 5 on collective defense. He believes that Vladimir Putin would have been disappointed with the results of the summit in The Hague: “He hoped for discord and chaos, but got unity and more European investment in NATO.”
Referring to the war in Ukraine, he spoke of failure – not of the US but of Europe: “We knew in September 2021 that this war was about to take place and American intelligence services informed all of Europe about it. You know what the Europeans did? Nothing.” He criticized the Biden administration: “It didn’t let the Ukrainians win. It told them they could use our weapons but only on their own territory. You can’t prevail that way.” Asked to comment on whether the Trump administration provides real help to Kyiv, he stated: “Even now as we sit here today, the US continues to provide support. The key is to convince Putin that the costs exceed the benefits of continuing the war.”
Regarding Iran’s nuclear program, the former US Secretary of State pointed out that Donald Trump tried to give the Iranians a way out through negotiations, but they refused: “The Iranian regime is now cornered. But if it continues on the same path, I promise you that President Trump will attack their nuclear program again. Therefore, the question of what will follow should not be answered by the West but by the people of Iran. And I hope they decide that this regime has disappointed them. That all the hundreds of billions they have wasted on security proved useless against Israel, against the US. They must decide whether they want to be part of the global security and prosperity system. So we still have work to do.”
Regarding the Gaza crisis, he said characteristically: “It will end with the death of the last Hamas fighter, unless they decide to go with a different model, a life of peace and prosperity. The Hamas idiots have destroyed the lives of people living in Gaza. They still hold Israeli hostages. What happened on October 7, 2023 is unparalleled to anything else I have encountered in my life. The atrocities they caused. The murders of thousands of people. The sexual assaults. It’s simply horrific. And the one responsible for this destruction is the Ayatollah, the Iranian regime, which supported these terrorists in Gaza.”
