Kimberly Guilfoyle has taken up her post in Athens as the first woman to serve as United States Ambassador to Greece, following her nomination by President Donald Trump and Senate confirmation in 2025. Reports at the time of her confirmation noted the historic nature of the appointment, with US and UK outlets describing her as the first female envoy to Athens.
Priorities: Defence and Energy
Greek and US briefings around her nomination and confirmation highlighted defence cooperation, energy security and regional stability as top priorities. Athens is looking to consolidate recent gains in the bilateral defence relationship and to deepen cooperation on energy corridors and infrastructure that bolster European energy diversification. Guilfoyle has publicly framed Greece as a reliable anchor of stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and a strategic partner for joint projects across shipping, energy, defence, technology and tourism.
Investment and Economic Ties
Beyond security policy, the ambassador is expected to court American investment in technology, innovation and infrastructure, areas where Greece has sought to accelerate growth and job creation. Coverage of her selection emphasised an economic agenda alongside strategic aims, positioning Greece as a dependable partner for US capital and supply-chain resilience in the region.
Background and Public Profile
Before her diplomatic posting, Guilfoyle was a television host, served as a California prosecutor and later worked as a senior adviser in US politics. Her high-profile public career and close ties to the Trump political orbit drew extensive media attention when she was tapped for Athens.
Her arrival coincides with a broader reshaping of US diplomacy in the region, including the Senate’s confirmation of Thomas Barrack as US Ambassador to Turkey in April 2025. Coordination between the embassies in Athens and Ankara will be central to managing tensions and advancing energy and connectivity projects in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Following her swearing-in in Washington, Greek and diaspora media reported that Guilfoyle would present her credentials in Athens, the formal step that completes the assumption of duties for an ambassador. As with all US chiefs of mission, this ceremony marks the start of official business with the host head of state.
Why It Matters
Greece’s role as a logistics, defence and energy hub has grown steadily in recent years. With a confirmed ambassador in place, Washington and Athens have an opportunity to lock in momentum on defence basing, naval cooperation, interconnector projects and US investment, while coordinating on a volatile regional agenda that spans the Aegean, the Balkans and the Middle East.
Source: Reuters