CLOSE
Loading...
12° Nicosia,
10 August, 2026
 
Home  /  Comment  /  Opinion

Trump, the Brazilians, and the Cyprus Problem

All quiet on the Iranian front, noisy as ever on the Cypriot one.

Onasagoras

Onasagoras

An agreement to end the war in Iran, an agreement between APOEL and the Brazilian investors. All on the same day. Coincidence? I think not.

So, the great but undeclared war between the United States, Israel, and Iran (with Russia in standby mode) went into a ceasefire, and all sides are celebrating their victory. It reminded me of Cyprus elections from back in the day, when everyone would celebrate in the end, no matter the outcome. Any outcome was spun as a massive win.

We have an agreement with Brazilian investors. —Prodromos Petrides

That was the era of the classic slogan: “This great victory belongs to DIKO,” although you could easily swap DIKO with any other party and it would still fit. I miss those days, when everyone won and everyone was happy. Unlike now, where everyone’s losing (except for ELAM so far) and everyone’s pissed off and snapping at each other. MEGA: Make Elections Great Again.

Donald showed up furious yesterday. Not that it came out of nowhere: First, he gave Iran a two-week deadline. The next day, he bombed them. The day after that, he thanked them for warning him before bombing back. Then he announced a ceasefire that no one honored, marking the end of hostilities in what he dubbed “The 12-Day War.” Finally, he said he wasn’t happy with Israel for unleashing a missile deluge on Iran after the so-called truce, adding, “We basically have two countries that've been fighting  so long and so hard that they bascially don't know what f*&k they're doing!” Oh help us, God.

“With great pleasure, I welcomed the EU’s special envoy for the Cyprus Problem, Mr. Johannes Hahn. The EU’s willingness for active involvement reaffirms its determination and commitment to playing a leading role in resolving the Cyprus Problem.” Thus spoke the President, gravely and with grandeur.

But, jet-setting Nikos, it’s not the EU’s determination that the international community questions but that of the directly involved parties. So it’s we who need to prove our commitment to moving the talks forward. Not the foreigners. And since July is just around the corner, and looks to be a scorcher, in both literal and figurative terms, I fear all these speeches and all these trips won’t count as progress. They’ll press us for results, dear Nikos. And then what shall we do without the barbarians?

TAGS
Cyprus  |  opinion  |  Trump

Opinion: Latest Articles

The government's handling of the CY-Alert failure still leaves unanswered questions about a system designed to protect lives in real time. Photo is screen captured from Atlas Fireteam Facebook video

No fault, no accountability

The defence minister's public show of anger quickly lost credibility once the full facts behind the National Guard operation ...
Thanasis Photiou
 |  OPINION
Record revenues came with record controversy. Photo credit: Alfredo Estrella/AFP via France24

Infantino’s promise

The 2026 World Cup delivered record revenues and strengthened Gianni Infantino's vision of turning FIFA into an even more ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
This summer, as vacation posts flood our feeds, it is worth remembering that what we see online is rarely a complete or accurate picture of anyone's life. Photo credit: Unsplash

The FOMO industry

As social media turns everyday life into a carefully curated performance, the fear of missing out has become less of a personal ...
Paris Demetriades
 |  OPINION
The public warmth between Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says more about today's strategic landscape than Nicosia's expectations. Photo credit: AFP via turkiyetoday.com

The navel of the world

Cyprus risks mistaking diplomatic optimism for geopolitical reality as the EU's priorities increasingly center on Turkey. ...
Pavlos Xanthoulis
 |  OPINION
The unanswered questions that have haunted soldiers and refugees for decades continue to point one man toward faith.

Bullets are not spared...

A new memoir revisits the impossible choices of the 1974 war through one survivor's personal testimony.
Opinion
 |  OPINION
America's constitutional checks will be crucial ahead of the 2027 French presidential election and future global stability. Photo credit: www.nato.int

Whatever happens in Ankara...

Trump's praise for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan leaves Athens with little room to respond through traditional ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
Competing calendars and weaponized histories manufacture the illusion of an inevitable final conflict. Image from The Crusader Bible at The Blanton Museum of Arts

Reality or narratives?

Our obsession with historical cycles blinds us to the present reality in the Middle East.
Opinion
 |  OPINION
How Cyprus turned a simple commute into a daily battle, and why making driving inconvenient is our only way out. File photo

From dead end to one-way street

Between smartphone-blind pedestrians and traffic-choked streets, it is time to admit our car dependency has hit rock bottom. ...
Paris Demetriades
 |  OPINION
Critics argue the reform is designed to deliver immediate political gains while postponing the difficult decisions needed to secure future generations' retirement prospects.

Limited-liability pension reform

Government proposals promise higher benefits and lower early-retirement penalties, but questions remain about the long-term ...
Opinion
 |  OPINION
X