Newsroom
A strong majority of Cypriots believe the country’s trilateral cooperation with Greece and Israel serves Cyprus’ national interests, according to a CYBC opinion poll that also shows a sharp rise in public confidence in Israel as the island’s most important defense partner.
The poll found that 71% of respondents said the Cyprus–Greece–Israel cooperation “benefits” Cyprus, while 14% said it does not. Another 9% expressed a neutral view, and 6% said they had no opinion.
The findings come as Cyprus continues to deepen diplomatic, energy and security ties with both Greece and Israel amid ongoing regional instability in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.
In a separate question on defense, the poll suggests a significant shift in perceptions over the past two years regarding which countries Cyprus can rely on to strengthen its security.
When respondents were asked, in an open-ended question allowing multiple answers, which country could best support Cyprus’ defense, Israel ranked dramatically higher in January 2026 than in May 2024. Support for Israel as Cyprus’ best defense ally rose to 41% in January 2026, up from 9.5% in May 2024.
By contrast, Greece, traditionally regarded as Cyprus’ closest strategic partner, declined sharply over the same period, falling to 27% in January 2026 from 45% in May 2024.
The United States also gained ground, rising to 16.5% in January 2026 from 11% in May 2024. Russia’s perceived importance doubled, increasing to 14% from 7%.
Support for the European Union as a defense anchor declined, with 13.5% naming the bloc in January 2026 compared with 19% in May 2024. France also dropped slightly, to 12% from 14%.
The United Kingdom registered low levels of confidence in both surveys, falling to 1.5% from 2.5%.
Skepticism about foreign security partnerships also eased somewhat. Those who said Cyprus should rely only on its own forces dropped to 4.5% from 8%, while those who said Cyprus should rely on no country declined to 16.5% from 19%.
The above charts and information were translated from their original Greek on CYBC (@rik.cybc Facebook).
