Overview

The renewed Trump era signals a structural shift in the transatlantic order, marked by a stronger emphasis on strategic interests, security imperatives, and transactional diplomacy. Within this evolving framework, the Eastern Mediterranean emerges as a critical geopolitical theater, where regional stability, energy security, maritime routes, migration pressures, and the competition for power between state and non-state actors converge.

The present «Dialogues» provide a focused, high-level platform to examine how the Eastern Mediterranean fits into the new transatlantic reality, how regional dynamics may shape, and be shaped, by the U.S. strategic recalibration, and how developments in the region, in turn, influence broader U.S.–EU–NATO dynamics.

Strategic Rationale

Once perceived as peripheral, the Eastern Mediterranean has become central to transatlantic strategic calculations and a testing ground for the future coherence and effectiveness of the transatlantic system. Energy diversification, defense infrastructure, regional conflicts, hybrid threats and the increased involvement of external forces make the region pivotal for the redefinition of the US-EU-NATO relationship.

Under the Trump-era approach to foreign policy, traditional assumptions around alliances and multilateral engagement are revisited. In this context, the Eastern Mediterranean functions as a strategic stress test for the future of transatlantic cooperation, deterrence, and regional balance.

Under these circumstances, these «Dialogues» seek to move beyond national lenses and focus on the region as an interconnected strategic system, where individual state roles, partnerships, and rivalries shape collective outcomes.

Objectives

• To assess how a Trump-era transatlantic doctrine impacts the Eastern Mediterranean
• To analyze the region’s role in U.S., EU, and NATO strategic planning
• To examine implications for regional security, energy and maritime stability
• To identify risks, leverage points and emerging alignments
• To foster forward-looking strategic dialogue beyond immediate political cycles

Core Discussion Pillars

1. The New Transatlantic Reality

• From alliance-based norms to interest-driven engagement
• NATO cohesion, deterrence and burden-sharing revisited
• Europe’s strategic recalibration under uncertainty

2. The Eastern Mediterranean as a Strategic Theater

• Energy corridors, maritime routes and infrastructure
• Regional conflicts, overlapping security architectures and external actors
• The role of the Eastern Mediterranean in global power competition

3. Regional Actors and Strategic Positioning

• Frontline and anchor states in regional stability
• Diplomatic leverage, credibility and alliance management
• The role of regional partnerships and multilateral formats

4. Security, Energy and Hybrid Challenges

• Energy security and diversification strategies
• Migration pressures and regional spillovers
• Hybrid threats, maritime security and resilience

5. Scenarios and Strategic Choices

• Plausible regional trajectories under a reshaped transatlantic order
• Risk assessment and escalation management
• Strategic options for regional and transatlantic stakeholders

Key Questions

• How does a more interest-driven transatlantic order reshape alliances and deterrence?
• What is the strategic value of the Eastern Mediterranean in U.S. and NATO planning?
• What risks and opportunities emerge for regional stability and energy security?

Format

• Extended evening format
• Moderated strategic Dialogues

Participants

• Current and former senior policymakers
• Senior diplomats and geopolitical experts
• U.S. and European think-tank representatives
• Security, energy and regional analysts
• Select institutional and strategic partners

Expected Outcomes

• Policy-relevant strategic insights
• Enhanced understanding of the Eastern Mediterranean’s role in transatlantic strategy
• Informal alignment among key stakeholders
• Foundations for future dialogue initiatives under the Nisyros Dialogues – Bridging the East Med® framework

Positioning

These Dialogues position the Eastern Mediterranean not as a secondary arena, but as a core strategic space shaping the future of transatlantic relations, where stability, credibility and strategic foresight will determine long-term outcomes.