The Greek government will not take any actions that could jeopardize the country’s ability to deter a potential adversary. This reaction was demonstrated by Athens against the backdrop of media reports about pressure from NATO and the EU on the country to transfer air defense systems to Ukraine.
Greek Government’s Position
This was announced by the press secretary of the Greek government Pavlos Marinakis, according to RBC-Ukraine citing Ekathimerini. He emphasized that the government has consistently rejected such statements in the past and now strongly reaffirms its position.
«We have already provided important assistance to Ukraine and its people. However, it should be emphasized that no actions will be taken — and I emphasize this — that could even remotely undermine our ability to deter or provide air defense,» Marinakis said during a briefing on Monday.
Air Defense Systems Transfer Issue
It is worth noting that on April 22, the Financial Times published an article stating that during a summit in Brussels, European leaders personally urged Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez to transfer air defense systems to Ukraine.
Recently, Russian occupiers have significantly increased air attacks on cities and critical infrastructure in Ukraine. In particular, Russia is actively attacking energy facilities with ballistic missiles, which can only be intercepted by two air defense systems in the world — the American Patriot SAM and the French-Italian SAMP/T.
Ukrainian President’s Statement
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that for full protection of the sky over Ukraine from Russian missiles, 25 Patriot systems are needed.
