Pressure Mounts on Greece for Higher-Tech Ukraine Aid

NATO allies privation Greece to merchantability immoderate Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine. Credit: AMNA

Greece is facing expanding unit from its NATO allies, peculiarly the United States and France, to importantly measurement up its subject assistance to Ukraine.

According to a study successful Kathimerini, the halfway of this request is for Greece to facilitate the transportation of immoderate of its 25 Mirage 2000-5 combatant jets via third-party intermediaries.

This unit is challenging Athens’ beardown penchant for limiting its contributions to older, little precocious limb systems—such arsenic the 60 self-propelled 203 mm M-110 howitzers, which person been successful the Army’s arsenal since the 1960s—due to its reluctance to proviso high-tech subject assets for usage against Russia.

The propulsion for a much important contribution, alternatively than a token one, besides comes from Eastern European countries that consciousness much acutely sensitized to the conflict.

Ukraine, European defence and Greek priorities

The scrutiny connected Greece coincides with a broader propulsion for enhanced European defence capabilities. At an informal gathering successful Copenhagen, EU leaders gave “broad support” to proposals aimed astatine rapidly processing drone and anti-drone exertion and utilizing immobilized Russian assets to unafraid loans for Ukraine.

European Council President Antonio Costa confirmed that leaders backed archetypal “flagship projects” to fortify security, including the “European drone wall” and the “Eastern Flank Watch.”

Ahead of the meeting, which followed caller airspace violations crossed respective subordinate states, the European Commission outlined these and different ideas—such arsenic an Air Defence Shield and a Defence Space Shield—in a Scoping Paper, calling for urgent financing and implementation.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, the host, echoed the sentiment of “broad support” for the Commission’s proposals.

Addressing the summit, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized that portion Europe enhances its eastbound defense, it indispensable arsenic safeguard its confederate borders. Sources bespeak the Premier stressed that Europe “must person the connection from Ukraine” regarding the important relation of caller technologies successful modern warfare.

He underscored the request for Europe to prioritize technological advancement successful defense, found its ain robust accumulation capacity, and foster innovation wrong the sector.

Related: Will Greece Join the “Coalition of the Willing” successful Ukraine?