Kimberly Guilfoyle is facing scrutiny over an alleged remark involving Greece‘s government. The claim emerged from a report about her diplomatic meetings. Greek officials have since responded to the reported comments. According to The Wall Street Journal, Guilfoyle made the alleged remark during a March dinner in Athens.
Greek Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou reportedly attended the gathering. The discussion reportedly involved the impending collapse of Romania‘s government. Guilfoyle allegedly claimed the United States had influenced that situation. She reportedly then said, “We can do that to any country we want. We can do that here.” Papastavrou allegedly pushed back against the remark. He reportedly reminded Guilfoyle that the U.S. could not replace Greece’s democratically elected government.
The reported exchange has since drawn attention from Greek opposition parties. Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said the issue “was never raised” and would not be tolerated. Marinakis also described the relationship between Greece and the United States as strategic. He emphasized that the partnership was based on mutual respect and shared values.
The report also examined Guilfoyle’s efforts involving American liquefied natural gas. She reportedly promoted U.S. energy sales across Southeastern Europe. A separate focus involved businessman Christos Marafatsos. He reportedly accompanied Guilfoyle during several official meetings while representing Greek construction company Aktor. According to the report, Aktor paid Marafatsos $160,000 for lobbying work. His involvement reportedly raised questions about private interests entering diplomatic meetings. Lawyers for Guilfoyle, Marafatsos, and Aktor denied wrongdoing.
In November, Aktor announced a joint venture, Atlantic-SEE LNG, that would be split 60-40 between it and DEPA, a Greek state-backed energy company. In the months since, Aktor and its joint venture have signed memorandums of understanding and commercial agreements with gas companies in Bulgaria, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Romania. A $6 billion deal Guilfoyle helped Aktor secure in Albania would, if completed, have the country buy gas from the company through 2050.
The controversy comes as Guilfoyle serves as the U.S. ambassador to Greece under Donald Trump. Her role has included promoting stronger American energy ties across the region. The alleged comments remain disputed, with Guilfoyle’s representative challenging the description of the exchange. Greek officials have also publicly rejected the suggestion that Greece faced a U.S. government threat. The reported exchange has prompted questions about diplomatic conduct and American energy interests.
