Greece will not send S-300 or “Patriot” anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis underlined on Thursday evening, speaking during a wide-ranging television interview.
He was responding to a question referring to an article this week in the Financial Times, which cited “pressure” being put on Athens to send Ukraine the Russian-made and US-made, respectively, anti-aircraft systems. “It was asked of us, and we explained why we couldn’t do this,” he said, adding:
“Let me explain this in more detail. Greece has supported Ukraine in many ways, with defense materiel. We’ve also said, however, from the very beginning, that we can’t allocate weapons systems which are critical for our deterrent capability. We have surplus equipment with which we can support Ukraine; we’ve done this, and I consider that it’s the right decision. And to the degree what we can find such materiel, we’ll continue to do so.”
Mitsotakis, who appeared on the prime-time newscast of Athens-based Skai TV, added that systems necessary for the protection of Greece’s airspace will not be provided to Ukraine.