There is no doubt that the visit of the American Secretary of State to Athens at the head of a large delegation is both noteworthy and positive.
It should be noted, too, that Marco Rubio is coming to Greece but will not be traveling to Turkey—a departure from the balancing act typically performed by US administration officials. In this instance, he will arrive from Iceland and depart for Portugal.
Of course, with the Trump administration, you never quite know what to expect.
And not just because there are several open issues on the table at the 6th Strategic Dialogue, including armaments, defense cooperation, and, naturally, energy—which could hardly be absent under the current circumstances.
At the same time, we must remain keenly aware that the US is going through a peculiar phase of international withdrawal, and no one knows what will remain of Euro-American relations once the Trump era concludes.
Even if Rubio is clearly not coming to Greece to pick a fight.
A small mercy, you might say. Other capitals have far more problems with Washington than Athens does. Fundamentally, our country’s entanglement is largely bound up with Trump’s well-known and broader confrontation with the Europeans.
It is no secret the current occupant of the White House does not harbor the warmest of feelings for the Old Continent. And those feelings will certainly not improve just because the US Secretary of State is traveling to our country.
On the other hand, Rubio is highly knowledgeable about the region and possesses a personal understanding of Greek–Turkish differences. During his time in Congress, he served as one of the primary bulwarks against Turkish influence.
But that is not the real problem. The core issue lies in the fragile and difficult balance Greek policy must strike when dealing with an unusual American administration.
An administration which (as all observers concede) is currently in retreat from the global stage.
Whether this pivot will be fully realized remains to be seen. Either way, US interest in Ukraine has seriously waned, while the situation in the Persian Gulf is turning into something of a fiasco. We will have to see if and how Washington digests that.
For the time being, however, the American government appears to be maintaining a delicate balance between Turkey and the Israel-Greece axis, without veering off course. And for now, it does not seem inclined to toss this balance by the wayside.
Which is our primary concern. In that sense, we should welcome the Secretary. And make the most of it while it lasts.
