With the Russian attack on the southern and eastern front of Ukraine intensifying, Kiev, seeing that already about 18% of its territory is under Russian occupation, is now “crying” for help in the form of weapon systems, ammunition and money in order to be able to turn the situation around.
In Luxembourg, where the main topic of the Foreign Affairs Summit yesterday was Ukraine and its further military support, Josep Borel pointed out that “we have asked the member states to do everything they can to increase Ukraine’s anti-aircraft defense capability.” , stressing that in addition to artillery shells and general ammunition, Kiev needs Patriot missiles and arrays.
Cargo climate
With Germany already announcing the deployment of the Patriot system, the cargo climate being created for other countries highlighted a report in the “Financial Times”, according to which “Greece and Spain are under pressure to provide Ukraine with air defense systems”. According to the publication, the… “narrow branding” of Athens by EU leaders, especially towards Greece and Spain, is increasing “as Kiev’s needs are greater than theirs”. As the FT points out, “Kiev this month made an urgent appeal to Western allies for seven additional air defense systems, such as US-made Patriots or Soviet-developed S-300s, as Russia steps up its air and missile campaign against the cities and the energy infrastructure of the country”.
Athens, however, remains unmoved on the line that no concession of weapons systems is going to be decided, without having been replaced, so that the Greek defense armor remains undiminished. “So far we have practically shown our support to Ukraine, however there is no going to be any move that will endanger the air defense of our country,” said government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis. Furthermore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Gerapetritis, who participated in the Luxembourg meeting, reminded that we as the EU have agreed that any joint financing of armaments will not concern material originating from the industry of third countries that threaten the security of member states.
Because Kiev is asking in addition to missiles and planes from the West and munitions that EU and NATO countries are considering producing in their industries, at the Greek level things with EAS and other defense industries that have left the direct control of the ministry of National Defense and have been transferred to other ministries are complicated. As for the Patriots, Greece, according to reliable information, does not intend to give Kiev any array only if and only if it is replaced by an array belonging to a newer version of the system.
As for the S-300, which will be easier for the Ukrainians to use, Greece points out in all tones that it is not willing to give anything if it is not replaced sooner.
To date, however, quantities of: a) AK-47 assault rifles, b) RPG-18 anti-tank rockets, c) 122 mm Artillery rockets, have been delivered from our country to Ukraine (since the invasion of Russia in 2022 until now). BMP-1 armored vehicles (40 vehicles), e) expendable medical material / blankets, f) 7.62 x 39 mm and 7.62 x 54 mm caliber cartridges, g) 73 mm projectiles, h) 155 mm Artillery projectiles, i) 203mm Artillery shells, j) Stinger shells. 105 mm Artillery shells, as well as 32 M-101A1 105 mm cannons, have also been sold to the Czech Republic by interstate agreement. All of the above have been classified by the Armed Forces as “handy non-operationally necessary”.
The “SHIELDS”
At the EU Foreign Affairs Council, against the background of the crisis in the Middle East, Giorgos Gerapetritis proposed the further strengthening of the “SHIELDS” naval mission due to the key role it plays in the Red Sea and the establishment of a European action group by Josep Borel, with the participation of a group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the assumption of an active mediating role by the EU in the promotion of humanitarian aid and peace in the region.
Which country has given what to Ukraine
- USA: 12 Nasams anti-aircraft systems, 20 HIMARS missile launchers, a Patriot long-range mobile anti-aircraft system, 2,000 Stinger anti-aircraft guns, 31 Abrams armored personnel carriers, thousands of Javelin and Nlaw anti-tank missiles.
- Germany: Two Patriot long-range mobile anti-aircraft systems, 12 IRIS-T air defense systems, 52 self-propelled Gepard anti-aircraft systems, 65 armored, among them 38 Leopard.
- France: One SAMP/T Mamba system (along with Italy, the Franco-Italian equivalent of the Patriot), two mobile Crotale short-range anti-aircraft systems, six self-propelled Mistral short-range anti-aircraft systems.
- England: Six Stormer air defense systems, 14 armored Challenger 2s, thousands of Nlaw and Javelin anti-tank missiles.
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