Cyprus Energy Minister Calls Trump’s Engagement Vital to the West

Trump shares a Breitbart interview in which Cyprus minister Michael Damianos credits U.S. involvement for advancing East Med natural gas exploration and Western energy security.

First Published: July 22, 2026, 5:51 PM ET

WASHINGTON D.C. — Donald J. Trump amplified a claim that his push for energy dominance has become indispensable to Europe’s security, sharing an interview in which a top Cypriot official said the West’s future depends on it.

Michael Damianos, the Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry for the Republic of Cyprus, told Breitbart News that Trump’s involvement in East Mediterranean gas development is “vital” and “fundamental for the area’s energy security,” by mentioning the source (see breitbart). The island nation, the closest European Union member to the Middle East, sits atop about 20 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves.

Here is the full post on Truth Social: “Exclusive — Cyprus Energy Minister: Trump’s “Energy Security” Engagement “Vital” to Future of West: https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/07/22/exclusive-cyprus-energy-minister-trumps-energy-security-engagement-vital-to-future-of-west/” on July 22, 2026 at 9:40 PM ET.

This is the first message released by Trump today. On average, Trump produces about 12 posts per day since his inauguration on January 20, 2025.

The move fits a broader pattern in Trump’s recent messaging, with 54 of his 477 posts over the last 30 days focused on Foreign Policy.

“I believe that President Trump’s involvement in this is vital, and I think the mark is there already, and we are delighted that we’re able to work with this administration,” Damianos said in the interview, according to breitbart.com. “To be honest, if President Trump wasn’t there with respect to what we’re trying to do, things could have been different.”

The stakes reach well beyond the divided island. Damianos said Cyprus wants to serve as “a reliable partner” for the United States and could power itself for centuries while supplying electricity to Europe and to regional partners such as Israel and Egypt, according to breitbart.com. American energy majors Chevron and Exxon Mobil operate the offshore fields. Chevron runs the Aphrodite prospect, while Exxon Mobil holds the Pegasus and Glaucus fields.

Cyprus advances a so-called 3+1 partnership linking Greece, Israel, Cyprus and the United States, a framework Damianos described as critical for both energy production and regional security. The Republic of Cyprus governs most of the island, while Turkish forces control a northern portion, a division that has complicated offshore drilling rights for decades.

For American readers, the Eastern Mediterranean push touches gasoline and electricity markets tied to global supply. More non-Russian gas flowing to Europe eases pressure on the liquefied natural gas that U.S. exporters ship abroad, a trade that helps set domestic prices and supports jobs in Gulf Coast energy hubs like Houston, where Damianos held follow-up meetings.

This has happened before. Trump earlier posted a Breitbart interview with Greek Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou, who said Trump’s “trademark move” in diplomacy uses energy policy to advance the economic interests of all parties, according to breitbart.com. Greece has begun its own exploration in waters off several islands, though Cyprus is further along.

The next decision rests with Cypriot regulators and the American operators as they set drilling timelines for the Aphrodite, Pegasus and Glaucus fields. A firm date for the next production milestone has not been announced.

Cyprus has sat at the crossroads of empires as happened before. The island fell to Ottoman forces in 1571 after a siege of Famagusta that lasted nearly a year, then passed to British administration in 1878 and gained independence in 1960, according to breitbart.com. Turkey invaded in 1974 and partitioned the island. That split endures today and still shapes the maritime disputes now framing its bid to become an energy supplier to the West.