Trump's base closure in Greece stirs European security fears
According to Greek media, Donald Trump, under the influence of Russian and Turkish leaders Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, decided to withdraw American forces and close the base in Alexandroupoli, Greece. Gen. Bogusław Pacek explains what these changes in the deployment of US forces mean for Europe's future security.
The Greek newspaper "Dimokratia" reported that US President Donald Trump ordered the closure of the American base in Alexandroupoli. The controversial decision, already widely discussed internationally, was supposedly made at the joint request of Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The United States has not yet issued any statement on this matter. This is significant because the base has been a key point for the transfer of American weapons to the Balkans and Eastern Europe, including support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
"It is too early to definitively comment on this decision," says Gen. Bogusław Pacek, who formerly served as an advisor to NATO in reforming Ukraine's military education system. Nevertheless, he emphasizes that any such change requires great caution.
Gen. Pacek: Any changes are dangerous
"Today, we live in a challenging time. We know that the United States intends to restructure the deployment of forces in various parts of the world. This is dangerous," assesses the retired military officer.
The military expert explains that we live in a "balance situation" — an equilibrium in which US forces are also deployed on NATO territory, and this balance should be maintained to ensure security.
"The reduction of American forces should be announced well in advance by the US administration so that Europe can position its own troops as replacements," he says. According to the general, the situation would be entirely different if the US had informed, for example, a year earlier about its intentions to withdraw forces from a European country.
"Europe is not ready for this. It requires time," assesses the expert. He emphasizes that "Europe is surprised by the new US policy."
"Transferring forces from Europe to Africa and preparing them for full combat readiness takes about six months. This gives an idea of the scale of changes being implemented in various NATO countries," adds the general.
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