Since the outbreak of war in the Middle East, Greece has been practically the only reliable partner of the United States in a region that is in constant turmoil.
The State Department began looking at Greece in this capacity about seven or eight years ago. However, these considerations began to take shape with the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), the war in Ukraine and the crisis in the Middle East. Although Greece is still far from being classified as a "border state" (ie an allied, border state that is a hub for advancing US interests in the Eurasian region), it is clear that the turmoil in Ukraine and the Middle East east are accelerating development, at least in terms of military presence.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the theoretical geopolitical value of Greece became tangible, mainly thanks to the northern port of Alexandroupolis, which a few months earlier had been integrated into the MDCA. Since then, mostly American and other NATO forces have been moving by rail from Alexandroupolis to Bulgaria and Romania, and from there to the Baltic Sea.
Helicopters, tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment were transported along this route, which skirts the Bosphorus Strait and leads to the Black Sea. At the same time, the connection of military fuel pipelines of three countries - Greece-Bulgaria-Romania - is progressing, which strengthens NATO's eastern wing.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has also highlighted Greece's role as a center for the deployment and servicing of US military forces in the Eastern Mediterranean, which the Americans treat much like the Republic of Venice did in the past - using the large islands as intermediate points of access to the Middle East. The goal then was to maintain a commercial empire; now it's unhindered access to one of the most volatile places on the planet, providing assistance to the US Air Force in a straight line - from the Allied Joint Forces Command in Naples, with stops on the island of Crete and possibly Cyprus.
Currently, Suda Air Force Base has practically reached the limit of its aircraft handling capabilities. Much of the 115th Fighter Wing in Suda has been relinquished to US forces and has S-130 and S-17 transport aircraft, KS-135 and RC-135 Rivet Joint flying tankers to gather information and identify potential targets. The transport planes are there with the primary purpose of possibly transporting American civilians from Israel and Lebanon. /BGNES
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Vasilis Nedos, "Kathimerini"
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