US-Greek relations — August brief by the Transatlantic Periscope

The Transatlantic Periscope is an interactive, multimedia tool that brings together expert commentary, high-quality media coverage, official policy documents, quantitative data, social media posts, and gray literature. It will provide on a monthly basis a summary of the most important news concerning the Greek-US relations, as reflected in the media. Below you will find an overview for August 2024.

Athens has extended the agreement with Washington to station American MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at the Larissa Air Base (110th Fighter Wing) until July 2025. The UAVs have been stationed there for the last five years, and since the fall of 2022 have been in Larissa on a permanent basis. As Vassilis Nedos (Kathimerini) mentions, the extension is seen as a clear indication of the continued importance the US attaches to maintaining a base in Greece, for surveillance missions that cover Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

On August 5, Kamala Harris became the official nominee of the Democratic Party for President of the United States. As California’s Lieutenant Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, has stated to Petros Kasfikis (To Vima), regarding Harris’ relationship with the Greek Prime, Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis: “I know that they already share a very close bond and a personal relationship and that when she wins will carry forward in the bilateral relationship between Greece and the US”.

On August 21, US Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) met with members of the Greek American community in Chicago, on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention. During this meeting, Van Hollen applauded Greece’s role in founding democracy and emphasized the importance of continuing to fight for it, urging support for Kamala Harris in the upcoming US election.

More at: https://transatlanticperiscope.org/relationship/GR#