Greece and Germany Call for EU Peacekeeping Role in Middle East as Hormuz Tensions Mount

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul person called for an progressive European Union relation successful Middle East peacekeeping and maritime security, announcing a caller bilateral strategical concern arsenic some countries warned that Europe cannot spend to stay a bystander successful 1 of the world's astir volatile regions.

Speaking aft talks astatine the Maximos Mansion, Mr. Mitsotakis said Europe indispensable beryllium "present" successful the portion pursuing immoderate aboriginal bid settlement, with peculiar enactment directed toward Lebanon's authorities and equipped forces.

He stressed that state of navigation done the Strait of Hormuz is simply a non-negotiable planetary necessity — and that Greece, arsenic the world's largest shipping nation, has an existential involvement successful ensuring nary precedent is acceptable that allows immoderate authorities to restrict planetary maritime passage.

"To scope the constituent wherever we statesman gathering bridges, we indispensable archetypal halt blowing them up," Mr. Mitsotakis said.

Mr. Wadephul, who took bureau successful 2025 nether Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said the EU has captious interests successful the Strait of Hormuz and called for a unified European effect to corporate threats spanning the Middle East and Russia's ongoing warfare against Ukraine.

He described Greece arsenic a "strategic anchor" successful the Mediterranean and said the 2 nations are forging person ties to physique a Europe susceptible of defending its values.

The talks formalized a caller Greek-German Strategic Partnership and covered Greece's upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU successful precocious 2027, arsenic good arsenic negotiations implicit the caller Multiannual Financial Framework.

The gathering reflects a broader European recalibration arsenic the continent seeks to task power successful a Middle East reshaped by conflict, with Greece and Cyprus progressively positioned arsenic the EU's frontline interlocutors successful the region.