Walking a tightrope: Greece’s geopolitical balancing act

Walking a tightrope: Greece’s geopolitical balancing act

From The Agora by MacroPolis

January 30, 2026 · 20 min · Season 7 · Episode 5

About this episode

This episode discusses Greece's complex geopolitical situation and foreign policy challenges.

Greece is navigating one of its most complex geopolitical moments in years — from tensions stretching across Venezuela, Greenland, Iran, and Ukraine to the high‑stakes energy diplomacy of the Vertical Corridor. With pressure mounting on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Athens is working to balance alliances, protect its credibility, and seize new economic openings. In this episode, host Nick Malkoutzis is joined by George Tzogopoulos , Senior Fellow at ELIAMEP and Director of EU–China Programs at the European Institute of Nice. George breaks down the strategic dilemmas shaping Greece’s foreign policy amid the uncertainty created by US President Donald Trump's global designs. Useful reading Athens navigates geopolitical whirlwind - Kathimerini Greece’s Vertical Corridor Heads to Washington After Athens Energy Summit - OT Trump’s erratic trade policy blamed for US gas auction flop in Eastern Europe - Politico Athens fears Turkish trap on Trump's peace board - Euractiv Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Nick Malkoutzis

Guest: George Tzogopoulos

Topics covered

  • geopolitics
  • foreign policy
  • energy diplomacy
  • Greece
  • international relations
  • economic openings

Keywords

  • Greece
  • geopolitics
  • Kyriakos Mitsotakis
  • energy diplomacy
  • foreign policy
  • Donald Trump
  • Venezuela
  • Ukraine

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ELIAMEP, European Institute of Nice, Kathimerini, OT, Politico, Euractiv

Places: Greece, Venezuela, Greenland, Iran, Ukraine

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