Financial Times: “Greece and Spain discuss granting air defense systems to Ukraine”

Political confrontation between the government and the opposition parties has caused today’s article in the Financial Times, according to which “Madrid and Athens are under strong pressure from NATO and the European Union to grant air defense systems to Ukraine”.

“EU leaders used last week’s Brussels summit to personally urge Spanish and Greek prime ministers Pedro Sanchez and Kyriakos Mitsotakis to donate some of their systems to Ukraine,” the report said. As for the reasoning, he adds that the two countries, which their Armed Forces have Patriot and S-300 systems, do not have “as great a need as Ukraine and that they face no imminent threat”.

Specifically, the Financial Times article notes that Kiev “is particularly interested in Greece’s old S-300 systems, which the Ukrainian forces already have in their arsenal and experience”.

It is recalled that so far Kiev has at least three Patriot systemsincluding one procured from the US and two from Germany, according to Berlin’s announcement last week.

Information cited by the Financial Times states that this specific issue is expected to concern the meeting of the EU foreign and defense ministerstaking place today in Luxembourg.

The Defense Ministries of Greece and Spain distanced themselves from the issuedeclining to comment on the information published by the Financial Times.

Marinakis: “There is not going to be any move that would endanger, even in the slightest, the deterrent capability or the air defense of our country”

The publication of the Financial Times also concerned the briefing of the political editors, which was refuted by the deputy minister, rather than the prime minister and government representative, Pavlos Marinakis. Alongside, reaffirmed the practical assistance of the Greek government to Ukraine. He recalled, in fact, the recent visit of the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to Kyiv and everything that was discussed with V. Zelensi. “From then on, however, no movement is going to be made -I am clarifying this so that there is no misunderstanding- which will endanger, even minimally, the deterrence capability or the air defense of our country. We have many times made many denials. I answer you categorically even today”, he declared.

SYRIZA: “S300 revelations confirm secret diplomacy”

SYRIZA refers to “secret diplomacy” on the part of the government, citing a Financial Times article about “EU pressure on Greece to grant S300 to Ukraine”.

Koumundourou asks the Prime Minister to inform the National Delegation, while criticizing the government representative for his comment that the government “listens and adapts to the observations of third parties and friends”.

KKE: “The publication of the “Financial Times” proves the methods for further involvement of the country in the imperialist war”

“The Financial Times article reporting pressure from Zelensky and EU leaders on the Greek government to send Patriot and S-300 air defense systems, proves the schemes for further involvement of the country in the imperialist war in Ukraine» notes in his comment, the KKE.

“The response of the government representative to a related question not only confirms these pressures, but – indirectly but not clearly – and the existence of relevant negotiationssince what he denied is not the possibility of sending the weapons systems, but the “endangerment of the country’s deterrent capacity” that can be caused by such a mission” adds the party’s comment and concludes:

“It is confirmed that the dangerous participation of the country in the imperialist war plans is strengthened, with the responsibility of the ND government and the complicity of the other parties who swear by the “sacred NATO alliance”.