US plans to upgrade Cyprus air base to fit large transport planes
Ambassador John Breslow details expanded military cooperation, marking a shift for the non-NATO island that historically favored Moscow.
By Connor Murphy ·
John Breslow, the new United States ambassador to Cyprus, announced plans on October 4 to upgrade the Andreas Papandreou Air Base in Paphos. The specific goal is to accommodate large US military transport aircraft. He also outlined a schedule for more frequent visits by US warships to Cypriot ports and an expansion of joint military activities.
Breslow’s remarks carry weight for a nation that is not a member of NATO and has historically viewed US foreign policy with suspicion. He stated that the United States will protect Cyprus in the future. While this assurance is not a formal security guarantee, it signals a deepening strategic partnership between the two countries.
The shift represents a departure from Cyprus’s decades of nonalignment. After gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, the country joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961 under Archbishop Makarios III. This allowed Nicosia to maintain close ties with the Soviet Union without severing connections to the West.
Relations with the United States remained strained for years. The 1974 Turkish invasion and the US decision to prioritize its alliance with Turkey fueled anti-American sentiment. In 1987, Washington imposed an arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus, which pushed the Cypriot National Guard to rely on Russian-made weapons systems.
Ties with Moscow deepened further in February 2015 when President Nicos Anastasiades signed a naval cooperation memorandum with Vladimir Putin. The agreement facilitated visits by Russian warships and improved repayment terms for a €2.5 billion loan issued in 2011. Even as recently as October 2021, the two nations signed a strategic cooperation framework.
The geopolitical landscape changed with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Konstantinos Adamides, an associate professor at the University of Nicosia, noted that the invasion accelerated a shift toward the West. He said the Republic of Cyprus openly chose to side with the West despite the economic costs. Nicosia aligned with EU sanctions against Russia, breaking with its traditional balance.
Washington responded by suspending the 1987 arms embargo in September 2022, allowing the export of lethal military equipment. The suspension has been renewed through September 30, 2027. In January 2025, the Biden administration authorized Cyprus to participate in US defense procurement programs, including Foreign Military Sales and Excess Defense Articles.
Cyprus is now working to reduce its dependence on Russian equipment, specifically T-80 tanks and Tor-M1 and Buk air defense systems. President Nikos Christodoulides stated that the country is preparing for potential NATO membership but cannot join immediately due to Turkey’s position. He said Cyprus would apply to join the alliance even tomorrow if it were possible.
