Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis diverted his travel plans Thursday, bypassing the World Economic Forum in Davos to head directly to an emergency European Union summit in Brussels, as Athens formally rejected a controversial peace proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump.
By Yiannis Kantellis
Mr. Mitsotakis canceled the Swiss leg of his trip after severe weather grounded flights in Athens, opting to fly straight to the Belgian capital for high-stakes talks on the deepening transatlantic rift over Greenland.
As EU leaders scramble to formulate a unified response to Mr. Trump’s tariff threats and aggressive posturing regarding the Danish territory, Athens signaled it would stand firmly with its European partners.
Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis confirmed Wednesday that Greece will decline Mr. Trump’s invitation to join a proposed "Peace Council," a parallel international body that European capitals fear could undermine the United Nations.
“The decision of the Greek government is identical to that of the other European states,” Mr. Gerapetritis told Action 24, citing “non-negotiable values” in foreign policy.
The rejection highlights the delicate diplomatic tightrope Athens is walking. While aligning with the EU on matters of sovereignty and international law, the Greek government is fighting to insulate its strategic partnership with Washington from the broader fallout.
“It is important… to have a very strong bilateral relationship between Greece and the United States,” Mr. Gerapetritis said. “This is a strategic choice that we have made and will continue to cultivate.”
The emergency summit in Brussels is expected to determine the bloc's next steps regarding Mr. Trump's threat to impose tariffs on EU nations and his recent suggestion of a NATO-brokered agreement to settle the status of Greenland.