Tsipras Urges Strategic Autonomy and a Redefined Foreign Policy Direction for Greece

Former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has delivered a forceful rebuke of Greece’s current foreign policy, urging a dramatic shift toward strategic autonomy in the face of mounting global uncertainty.

In a sweeping political intervention released Friday—on the eve

of his visit to Harvard University—Tsipras unveiled what is being widely referred to as the “Tsipras Manifesto,” a multi-page document that lays out his vision for a strong, independent Greece guided by a multidimensional strategy. Addressing the war in Ukraine, Europe’s diminishing geopolitical clout, Greece’s defense choices, and what he sees as the missteps of the Mitsotakis government, Tsipras makes the case for a nation that carves its own path rather than following the lead of more powerful allies.

At the center of Tsipras’s argument is the belief that Greece, and Europe more broadly, have made grave miscalculations in their approach to global crises. The war in Ukraine, he said, was neither unforeseen nor inevitable. While he unequivocally condemned Russia’s invasion and violation of international law, he argued that the West’s insistence on Ukraine’s NATO accession accelerated the path to war. A more measured approach, he suggested, could have opened space for diplomatic solutions before the outbreak of full-scale conflict.

Tsipras characterized the war as a tragedy for Ukraine and a strategic loss for Europe. He pointed to the tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives lost and the territorial losses to Russia, as well as what he described as the exploitation of Ukraine by some of its own allies—especially the United States, which he accused of treating the country like a de facto colony in exchange for wartime support. He argued that the economic cost to Europe, particularly Germany, has been devastating, while the U.S. has profited from energy exports and arms sales. Europe, he claimed, has gained little from its hardline approach and has failed to carve out an independent role in resolving the conflict.

More broadly, Tsipras criticized the European Union for failing to act as a geopolitical force for peace, instead following Washington’s lead without pursuing a viable, independent strategy. In his view, the EU should be championing diplomacy, shaping a new security architecture that includes Russia rather than treating it solely as an existential threat. He urged the Union to confront modern global challenges—from climate change and artificial intelligence to migration and energy security—with a coherent, forward-looking vision.

Turning to Greece, Tsipras accused the Mitsotakis government of blindly aligning with U.S. policy in Ukraine, forfeiting the opportunity to play a stabilizing regional role. Rather than supporting the Ukrainian people through diplomacy, he said, Greece adopted the stance of a “willing and predictable ally,” sacrificing its own strategic flexibility. This, he argued, has not only left Greece excluded from key European diplomatic initiatives on Ukraine, but has also diminished its credibility with both allies and rivals.

Tsipras warned that Greece now finds itself diplomatically isolated. Despite substantial military agreements with the United States and France, and political alignment with Israel, Greece has failed to convert these relationships into meaningful strategic gains. He accused the government of trading national assets—such as indefinite military base access and multi-billion-euro arms deals—without securing reciprocal support on critical regional issues like maritime rights, energy cooperation, or the Cyprus question.

He rejected the notion that increased military spending alone can solve Greece’s strategic challenges, especially when basic projects such as the Greece–Cyprus–Israel electricity interconnection remain stalled. Instead, Tsipras called for a fundamental rethinking of Greece’s role in the world. In a multipolar era, he argued, it is no longer enough to say that Greece "belongs to the West." Rather, Greece must craft a foreign policy that engages with all global poles—East and West, North and South—reflecting its geographic and geopolitical realities.

Tsipras advocated for a recalibration of Greece’s relations with the United States based on mutual respect and benefit, not submissiveness. He urged active Greek participation in the shaping of Europe’s future defense strategy and the eventual settlement of the Ukraine war, in coordination with Cyprus and under strict conditions regarding Turkey’s conduct. He also called for the restoration of diplomatic channels with Russia and for Greece to contribute to the design of a new European security framework.

He further pushed for Greece to assert its maritime rights under international law, reinvigorate Balkan diplomatic initiatives, and expand its presence in the Global South through cultural and economic diplomacy. Most urgently, he argued, Greece must rebuild its decaying national defense industry, which he described as being in a state of collapse.

The former prime minister closed his address with a warning about the fragility of the current government, which he claimed has lost its legitimacy in the eyes of the public, particularly after mass protests following the deadly Tempi train crash. The issue, Tsipras concluded, is not just political stability, but national integrity itself.

In his view, only a confident, sovereign Greece with an independent and multidimensional foreign policy can respond effectively to the complex challenges of today’s world. The country must reclaim its role as a pillar of peace and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean—not by blindly following shifting alliances, but by asserting its own strategic vision.

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