Cyprus will seek US defence commitments

Significance This follows media revelations that Christodoulides presented a roadmap for Nicosia’s NATO accession to US President Joe Biden during his visit to Washington in October and to NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Budapest last month. Impacts Washington will likely admit Cyprus to its visa waiver programme in 2025, easing travel to the United States for Cypriots. Taking advantage of its security needs, Washington has deployed the FBI to Cyprus to root out money laundering, particularly by Russians. Nicosia’s NATO membership bid may put the settlement of Cyprus’s division further out of reach by exacerbating relations with Ankara. Expanding ties with Israel will help Cyprus modernise its military and curry favour with the incoming Trump administration.