The U.S. Consulate in Thessaloniki, Greece, is reportedly among nearly 30 American diplomatic missions around the world that have been proposed for closure, according to a CNN report citing a confidential memo under consideration by President Donald Trump.
The memo, which outlines significant cuts to U.S. diplomatic presence globally, recommends shutting down embassies and consulates across Europe, Africa, and Asia in an effort to streamline operations and reduce costs.
According to a New York Times article, the Thessaloniki consulate is included on the list of proposed closures. The document also names five consulates in France—Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Rennes, and Strasbourg—along with two in Germany, located in Düsseldorf and Leipzig. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, the U.S. missions in Mostar and Banja Luka are also targeted.
Additional closures proposed include consulates in Florence (Italy), Ponta Delgada (Portugal), and Edinburgh (Scotland). Beyond Europe, the memo suggests shutting down four more consulates across Africa and Asia.
The report also recommends either a major downsizing or the complete withdrawal of the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia. In Iraq, it calls for the closure of the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center and a reduction in staffing and expenditures at both the Baghdad and Erbil diplomatic posts.
Further, the memo advises consolidating consular services in countries with multiple U.S. missions—such as Japan and Canada—into single locations.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Senator Marco Rubio has signed off on the proposed closures.
If implemented, the cuts would drastically reduce the U.S. diplomatic footprint worldwide. According to data compiled by the Lowy Institute, a foreign policy think tank based in Sydney, the United States currently maintains a more extensive diplomatic presence than China in Europe. The proposed reductions, however, would reverse that advantage.
Moreover, the U.S. would fall further behind China in regions like Africa and East Asia, where Beijing already operates more diplomatic missions than Washington.
The proposal, if approved, would mark a significant shift in American foreign policy strategy and raise questions about the country’s long-term diplomatic engagement abroad.
