President Nikos Christodoulides made an unexpected move that changes Cyprus long-standing neutral position: the Mediterranean island might join NATO. This shift comes after his recent meet-up with Joe Biden in Washington (which got media talking about possible changes in Cyprus foreign policy)
The small island nation – which kept its distance from military alliances since Cold war times – now looks at getting its armed forces up-to-speed with NATO standards; US will help with training and gear. During those past decades Cyprus walked a thin line between US and Soviet interests keeping its non-aligned status
The islands military needs some work to match NATO requirements:
- New equipment updates
- Special training programs
- Modern defense systems
- Better communication tech
This change shows how Cyprus is moving away from its old-school neutral position (that helped it stay friends with both East and West during Cold war times) to a more west-aligned approach. The decision comes as part of wider changes in Mediterranean security setup; though exact timeline for NATO application isnt set yet