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Cyprus is set to play a growing role in a deepening defense partnership with Greece and Israel, as the three countries move to expand joint military activity and security cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
According to information cited by Reuters, senior military officials from Cyprus, Greece, and Israel recently approved a common framework for defense collaboration during meetings held in Cyprus. While specific operational details were not disclosed, the agreement paves the way for intensified joint naval and air force exercises beginning in 2026, as well as closer coordination on security planning.
This development follows a high-level summit in Jerusalem involving Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At that meeting, the three leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in maritime security and advance energy interconnection projects, reinforcing the strategic alignment that has steadily evolved over the past decade.
A senior Greek official familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Cyprus will be directly involved in future joint exercises and will also benefit from the transfer of Israeli military expertise. This cooperation is intended to help all three countries address both conventional military threats and non-traditional challenges, such as drone warfare and other asymmetric risks. The official added that expanded drills would take place after a ceasefire in Gaza, with Cyprus participating alongside Greece and Israel in major exercises in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The growing trilateral partnership is being closely watched by Turkey, which views the alignment as strategically significant in a region marked by long-standing rivalries and competing energy interests.
Within Cyprus, the defense cooperation has sparked political debate. While the Cypriot government has not issued a formal response, the country’s main opposition party, the communist AKEL, publicly criticized President Christodoulides. The party warned that closer military-political ties with Israel could carry serious risks and consequences that, in its view, have not been adequately considered.
The Reuters report also highlights the broader military context of the partnership. Both Cyprus and Greece have already acquired Israeli missile systems worth several billion euros. Greece is currently negotiating further purchases of Israeli medium- and long-range air defense and anti-ballistic missile systems for a planned multi-layered air and drone defense network known as “Achilles’ Shield,” a project estimated to cost around €3 billion.
In addition, Greece’s parliament recently approved the procurement of 36 Israeli-made PULS rocket artillery systems, intended to reinforce defenses along its northeastern border with Turkey and on Aegean islands, moves that further underscore the expanding scope of Israeli defense involvement in the region, with Cyprus positioned as a key strategic partner in this trilateral framework.
