(MENAFN) Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece has announced that his country will not supply Ukraine with United States-made Patriot or Soviet-designed S-300 air defense systems, despite earlier speculation suggesting otherwise. The decision comes amidst pressure from the European Union and NATO on member states to increase support for Ukraine amid its shortage of air defense systems and munitions.
In an interview with Iefimerida, Mitsotakis clarified Greece's stance, stating firmly that the delivery of such systems to Ukraine will not happen. He emphasized that Greece cannot provide weapons systems critical to its deterrence capability, highlighting the importance of these air defense systems for protecting Greek airspace.
While Greece has supported Ukraine in various ways during its conflict with Russia, including providing weapons, Mitsotakis emphasized that the Patriot and S-300 systems are indispensable for safeguarding Greek airspace and cannot be transferred to Ukraine.
Greece's decision contrasts with Germany's promise to supply another Patriot system to Ukraine, as well as Poland's assertion that it lacks air defense systems to spare. Additionally, Spain, like Greece, has opted to provide air defense missiles to Kiev but will not supply Patriot systems.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu previously stated that Russian forces had destroyed at least five Patriot systems operated by Ukraine since the beginning of the year. Despite calls for increased support, Greece remains steadfast in its decision not to provide critical air defense systems to Ukraine.
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