Greece Declines Transfer of Air Defense Systems to Ukraine

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has stated that his country will not be sending any Patriot or S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine.

In an interview with Sky News yesterday, Mitsotakis affirmed, "Greece will not send any S-300 or Patriot systems to Ukraine."

He mentioned that while Greece has already sent various defense equipment to support Ukraine, it cannot provide Kyiv with such critical systems, which are of utmost importance to Athens.

This decision comes amidst reports indicating pressure on Greece from some European Union leaders to send air defense systems to Ukraine.

Mitsotakis emphasized that such requests have already been made, asserting that Athens is determined to send other surplus equipment.

The Greek prime minister's stance may be influenced by recurring tensions and confrontations between Greece and Turkey over sovereignty rights in the Aegean Sea and potential natural gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean.

Last year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also questioned Greece's sovereignty over several Greek islands, including Rhodes, Samos, and Lesbos.