CLAIM: Trump is shutting down the base in Alexandroupolis.
CONCLUSION:
The claim originates from an article published by the newspaper Dimokratia, which does not provide any evidence. There is no U.S. “base” in Alexandroupolis. The port of Alexandroupolis can be used as a logistics hub for the U.S. Armed Forces under the updated Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) between Greece and the U.S. President Donald Trump stated that “it is not a true story.” Pentagon officials have denied the claim. Based on available information, there have been no changes to this agreement so far.
The claim that Trump is shutting down the U.S. base in Alexandroupolis appeared on the front page of the Sunday edition of Dimokratia newspaper, authored by Kyra Adam, and dated February 23, 2025.
This claim was subsequently republished by numerous websites in Greece and Cyprus. It gained international attention when it appeared on defence-blog.com and in Kremlin-controlled media such as the TASS news agency and other Russian websites like gazeta.ru, kp.ru, ria.ru, and many others. All these publications cite Dimokratia as their primary source. However, the article does not provide any details regarding the origin of the information, nor does it substantiate the claim.
The updated Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), signed on October 14, 2021, between the U.S. and Greece, includes Alexandroupolis as a military logistics hub for U.S. and NATO operations, particularly for the transportation of troops and equipment to Bulgaria, Romania, and other Eastern European countries, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This means it functions as a supply hub, not a “base” in the sense of a large, permanent military presence.
A video follows showing the signing of the agreement between then Foreign Minister of External Affairs Nikos Dendias and then-U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
According to the Athens News Agency (ANA-MPA), the U.S. President was asked about the claim by a journalist during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Oval Office. Donald Trump appeared unfamiliar with the topic and turned to the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. However, Trump received a response from Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who said that the claim was unfounded. Trump then reiterated that it was “not a true story.”
A video follows showing Trump’s response to a journalist’s question regarding the Greek publication.
According to The War Zone, which cites a response from a U.S. Department of Defense official:
“There is no U.S. base in Alexandroupolis – it is a Greek facility that the U.S. has access to under the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement. “It simply serves as a surface transportation hub when U.S. equipment flows into and out of Europe. US transport personnel can surge to the location to manage episodic arrivals and departures of equipment, but this is not a US ‘base’ for the US to close.”
Apart from the fact that there is no U.S. base to close, the official stated that no changes are expected regarding the flow of equipment through the port.
Conclusion
The claim originates from an article published by the newspaper Dimokratia, which does not provide any evidence. There is no U.S. “base” in Alexandroupolis. The port of Alexandroupolis can be used as a logistics hub for the U.S. Armed Forces under the updated Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) between Greece and the U.S. President Donald Trump stated that “it is not a true story.” Pentagon officials have denied the claim. Based on available information, there have been no changes to this agreement so far.