Karloutsos and the Plans for a New Yalta on the Acropolis… Kyriakos Mitsotakis had spoken openly about “Trumpism,” criticizing the policies of the former U.S. president.
Unfortunately for Greece, the relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is at rock bottom. According to sources familiar with U.S.-Greek diplomatic exchanges, the Republican leader holds no regard for Mitsotakis, while the advice he has received from his circle has been “entirely negative.”
Indicative of this is the fact that, although the White House never announces in advance the agendas of the American President’s meetings with foreign leaders, the Mitsotakis case was an exception: It leaked that the U.S. wishes to discuss with Greece only the future of the country’s ports—especially Piraeus, which is currently controlled by Chinese interests through COSCO.
Trump reportedly views removing China from Greece, particularly from critical infrastructure such as ports, as a strategic priority. His plan, according to information, is for these assets to pass into the hands of companies friendly to him or to the broader American business elite that supports him. Of course, Trump’s desire clashes with the commitments the Mitsotakis government has made to Beijing.
Athens cannot unilaterally overturn agreements concerning Chinese investments in strategic sectors—something that deepens Trump’s distrust toward the Greek prime minister.
The “New Yalta” on the Acropolis and Greece’s Role
Further, sources close to the former U.S. president reveal that Trump is seriously considering Greece as the venue for a historic summit—a “second Yalta,” as they call it—where he could sign a long-term peace agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the same sources, Trump wants the Acropolis as the backdrop, as Obama once did, to give his image symbolic and historical weight. If this agreement ever materializes, it is expected to have a multipolar character, signaling a reorganization of borders and balances, especially in the Middle East. But with the Chinese entrenched in Greece, this won’t happen…
The “Father Alex” Factor
Trump’s aversion to Mitsotakis is not limited to politics. Information from a journalistic source indicates that even influential figures in the Greek-American community did not argue in favor of the Greek prime minister when Trump sought their opinions.
Notably, “Father Alex Karloutsos,” the powerful clergyman with vast influence in Washington, avoided responding when Trump asked about Mitsotakis—something the former president reportedly interpreted as a sign of weakness or mistrust.
It is worth noting that Dora Bakoyannis maintains excellent relations with Father Alex, whose son, Mike Karloutsos, participates in major investment projects in Greece, including the Hellinikon casino development.
Mitsotakis’ Statements Backfire
Beyond all that, the negative briefings about Mitsotakis were reinforced by his past public remarks against Trump. Mitsotakis had spoken openly about “Trumpism,” criticizing Trump, and while in the U.S., expressed preference for the Democrats—an at least ill-judged move in Republican circles. Today, Athens is quietly pushing to secure a Mitsotakis–Trump meeting, but the chances are minimal.
As well-informed sources in Washington note, the image of a Greece pleading for an audience is extremely unfavorable and undermines the country’s stature amid rapid geopolitical shifts.
Trump, for his part, remains cold—if not hostile—toward the Greek prime minister, considering him unreliable and politically insignificant in the new global order he envisions (he even reportedly shoved him aside at the recent summit in Egypt to “put him in his place”).
Chevalier Noir – www.bankingnews.gr
