President Donald Trump dismissed reports on Monday that the US military would stop using facilities in the northern Greek port city of Alexandroupolis due to the imminent end of the war in Ukraine.
During a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump was asked by a reporter if the US planned to close a military base in Alexandroupoli, as reported by Greek newspaper Dimokratia over the weekend.
Trump initially was unaware of the report and turned to US officials in the room for clarification. After being briefed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, he responded, “It’s not a correct story.”
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US officials back Trump on the Alexandroupolis story
A US Department of Defense official also told Breitbart that the United States does not have a military base in Alexandroupoli to “close,” but rather uses Greek facilities and the port as a ground transportation hub to move personnel in and out of Europe.
“There is no US base in Alexandroupolis. It is a Greek facility that the US has access to under the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement,” a US defense official told Anadolu. “It simply serves as a surface transportation hub when US equipment flows into and out of Europe.”
“US transport personnel can surge to the location to manage episodic arrivals and departures of equipment, but this is not a US ‘base’ for the US to close,” the official added.
Alexandroupolis’ strategic role for US and NATO
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Alexandroupolis facility has become increasingly important strategically to the US and NATO, serving as a critical supply route for military units stationed in Eastern Europe.
The port functions are part of a five-year framework (Greek-American Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement) for the presence of US forces in Greece, signed in May 2022.
Alexandroupolis provides a crucial logistical hub in the northeastern Mediterranean, offering access to the Black Sea region and the Balkans. It offers an alternative to reliance on the Turkish Straits, which can be subject to geopolitical tensions. Its location allows for the rapid deployment of troops and equipment to Eastern Europe, enhancing NATO’s ability to respond to potential threats.
The port has been used to transport military equipment, including heavy armor, to support NATO’s presence in the region.
Alexandroupolis is also becoming an important energy hub, with plans for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. This helps to diversify energy supplies in the region and reduce reliance on Russian energy.
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