Economist on Alexandroupolis: Port vital to war in Ukraine

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“That’s why the city can thank Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, which has caused activity in its port to explode.”

It is of strategic importance for Western interests the port of Alexandroupolis according to the Economist magazine.

The small Greek town of Alexandroupolis on the Aegean Sea, 15 kilometers from the border with Turkey, is a thriving town in recent years, no longer dependent on selling souvenirs to tourists. For that, the city can thank him Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, which has caused activity in its port to explode.

The port’s geography makes it attractive to NATO logistics planners. American ships dock there. It also has good road and rail links north through the eastern side of the alliance.

Specifically, it provides access to Ukraine via Bulgaria and Romania. Using it as a way station bypasses the Black Sea, where Russia has forces, and the Bosphorus, a tightly controlled point from Turkey, which is a member of NATO, but “capricious”.

America uses the port for deployment and could eventually become an energy hub, with plans for two floating liquefied natural gas terminals a few kilometers offshore. This will help countries in the region reduce their dependence on Russian gas.

Even better, the port has plenty of spare capacity, unlike its two largest Greek ports Thessaloniki and Piraeus (which also happen to be controlled by companies with ties to the Russian and Chinese governments respectively).

However, a Greek company with Russian ties wants to buy it. Circumstances make port privatization sensitive. The timing could not be worse notes the Economist.

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