Greece and the United States are in talks to revise their mutual defense agreement, a move that could see the establishment of two new bases for U.S. forces in mainland Greece and a significant expansion of the American military footprint in the country.
The ongoing negotiations are also focused on upgrading existing facilities.
The U.S. will remain in the strategic northeastern port of Alexandroupoli and is set to spend $42 million to upgrade its naval support base at Souda Bay in Crete.
According to officials, the two new locations being considered for U.S. forces are the Petrochori firing range in the western Peloponnese and the former Dalipis Army Base near Thessaloniki.
While the talks signal a deepening of defense ties, one point of contention remains Greece's long-standing request for a U.S. presence on an Aegean island, such as Skyros.
The U.S. has so far resisted this, but a bipartisan bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, co-sponsored by Greek-American members of Congress including Gus Bilirakis and Nicole Malliotakis, is pushing for such a presence.
The discussions come as Greece appears set to avoid defense spending cuts announced by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that are expected to affect other American installations in Europe.