It is a common belief internationally that the assassination attempt against the former US president brings him one step closer to the Oval Office. If Donald Trump is elected for a second term, significant changes are likely to occur across various areas. Not only in the Ukrainian issue and in America’s relations with Israel.
Trump has a different philosophy on how relations with Europe should be managed. Trump has a distinct philosophy regarding the management of relations with Europe, the unfolding of the war in Ukraine, the role of the Kremlin, and whether there will be a repetition of excessive tolerance towards Turkey’s whims.
In all these developments, Greece is, of course, diplomatically absent. Georgios Gerapetritis is already on his August vacation. Alexandra Papadopoulou is obsessed with undermining Elpidophoros. Instead of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs trying to avoid being kicked around from north to south.
From Albania, Turkey and the provocative Skopje. A possible election of Trump will not only affect Israel and Ukraine, but will also significantly impact how Europe and NATO are considered by 2025. Surprisingly, it also impacts Orthodoxy and the Phanar.
Relations with Russia
The Ecumenical Patriarchate may have acted with the best of intentions in granting Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine, but the Moscow Patriarchate remains robust and influential. Instead of being marginalized, it gains more allies within the realm of Orthodoxy. The latest example is the Patriarch of Bulgaria.
If Orthodoxy were a chessboard, Moscow has strategically moved many pieces against Patriarch Bartholomew. The “strongholds” of the Phanar, such as Jerusalem and Alexandria, have been reduced to mere pawns.
Many analysts believe that a Trump presidency will elevate Moscow’s influence on the international stage. And this is likely to significantly bolster the international influence of the Moscow Patriarchate. A series of unfortunate decisions by the Ecumenical Patriarch regarding appointments in Ukraine and Bulgaria has enabled Russia to manipulate the situation to its advantage.
D. Trump has demonstrated that he is not focused on maintaining balance; instead, he prioritizes his own objectives. He neither works with emotional considerations nor takes into account personal relationships or acquaintances, as seen in… “Beidenopoulos.”
Ambassador Tsounis’s departure
The US Ambassador in Athens is also set to change alongside the new US President. George Tsounis worked diligently to maintain strong relationships with politicians, business leaders, and the Church. This ambassador, owing to his Greek heritage, faced more challenges than his predecessors in dealing with Church-related matters.
He faced prejudice because, as an Archon of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, he was already perceived through a preconceived lens. He encountered opposition, but also found allies who, over time, became adversarial. In any case, his replacement will bring relief to some within the Church while unsettling others.
From the column of Greek edition orthodoxtimes.gr, Melchizedek
*Published in the newspaper “Orthodoxi Alitheia”
