of Lieutenant General (TT-SSE 1960) Naoum Nikolaou
The recent visit of the French president to Greece and the statements of support for our country created a positive climate and strengthened the sense of security of Greek citizens. The message that "If your sovereignty is threatened, I will be here with you" has clear political and strategic weight, particularly at a time of heightened tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
France appears to be one of Greece's most stable allies within Europe, while the defense cooperation between the two countries has already reached a new level, with important arms and strategic cooperation agreements. Such are the frigates, fighter jets and potential new markets in new generation missile systems, in cyberspace systems, in artificial intelligence platforms that the French Ministry of Defense uses of the MISTRAL-as we have previously mentioned- , in a possible purchase of French submarines that has not been officially announced, in matters of defense equipment maintenance and in many other areas that will be accompanied by significant financial costs for Greece several billion euros.
However, despite the positive climate and statements of political support, a critical question remains. Words are enough.;
Greece is not facing a theoretical threat. It is facing a concrete and long-standing challenge from Turkey, which maintains the casus belli for the expansion of Greek territorial waters to 12 nautical miles. That is, a right that derives from International Law and is implemented by Turkey itself.a 12 miles in the Black Sea, aligned with International Law (even if it has not signed it), but does not follow the same stance in the Aegean for its own arbitrary political-geographical reasons. At the same time, the Cyprus issue remains open, with the presence of Turkish troops continuing, despite repeated UN resolutions who are requesting their departure.
In this context, France's stance takes on particular importance. If French support for Greece is substantial and not just symbolic, then it should also be expressed in more specific areas. Macron's clear condemnation of the threat of war against a member state of the European Union and NATO would constitute a strong message of stability and legitimacy. Accordingly, a clear position in favor of the implementation of UN resolutions on Cyprus would strengthen international pressure towards resolving the issue.
It is worth noting that the same words he also used during his recent interview with the French newspaper THE WORLD on the defense agreement with Greece, stating:
"She is inviolable." and there is no room for doubt, there is no room for doubt. And, for all our enemies, potential or real, they must know very well that France will resort to Greece's help if necessary." That is to say without mentioning again nothing about the threat of the Turkish casus belli" and about the withdrawal of the Turkish troops, which invaded Cyprus.
It is certainly understandable that France maintains significant economic and political interests in Turkey, in addition to the risk of provoking extremist activities by Turks in France, which makes a tougher public stance is difficult. However, strategic cooperation with Greece – especially when accompanied by such large economic agreements – also creates expectations.
Greece is not simply asking for declarations of friendship. It calls for clear political support on issues related to its national sovereignty and international legitimacy. It asks its allies not to maintain equal distances when one side threatens and the other defends.
The French president's statements were an important step. But to gain real weight, they need to be be accompanied by corresponding initiatives and clear positionsBecause in international politics, credibility is not judged by words alone, but mainly from actions.
Photo By © European Union, 2026, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=167601187, https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/
