Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bilateral security agreement during the European Council meeting in Brussels.
This agreement aligns Greece with 20 other EU member states that have committed to supporting Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction efforts. It follows Greece’s previous commitments, including joining the G7’s joint pledge of security support for Ukraine, and the EU-Ukraine agreement signed in June 2024.
It also follows several meetings between the Greek and Ukrainian leaders. In March Mitsotakis visited the Ukrainian city of Odessa, expressing support and focusing specifically on the large Greek diaspora in the city. “I wanted to come especially to Odessa – we managed and found a way to coordinate our programs with President Zelenskyy – to let you know that we stand by you, we support Ukraine, but we also support you in your struggle to keep your Greek roots alive.”
Mitsotakis again met with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the Ukraine – South East Europe Summit in Dubrovnik earlier this month.
Outside the summit in Brussels on Thursday, Mitsotakis reiterated this unwavering support for Ukraine: “I want to repeat the fixed position of Greece, which is also the position of the European Council: Ukraine will be the one to choose the time to start peace negotiations with Russia,” said the prime minister. “But [Ukraine] must be able to do it from a position of strength and not from a position of weakness.”
The bilateral security agreement is expected to include broad cooperation in various sectors– such as economic collaboration, civil protection, energy production, and maritime transport logistics.
