Media: Greece is preparing to give Ukraine at least 1 Patriot system, possibly 2

Nate Ostiller, The Kyiv Independent news desk

April 23, 2024

Greece is preparing to give Ukraine at least one Patriot air defense system, Greek media outlet Pronews reported on April 22, citing government sources. The number could be two, the source added.

The news follows a Financial Times (FT) story on April 22 in which official sources said Greece and Spain were under specific pressure from the EU to provide additional air defense systems to Ukraine.

“European leaders personally urged Spanish and Greek prime ministers Pedro Sanchez and Kyriakos Mitsotakis at a summit in Brussels last week to donate air defense systems to Ukraine, according to people briefed on the discussions,” the FT wrote.

“The two leaders, whose armed forces between them have more than a dozen Patriot systems plus others such as the S-300, were told that their needs were not as great as Ukraine’s and that they faced no imminent threat.”

Government sources told Pronews that the US provided an undisclosed “guarantee” regarding the possible delivery of the Patriot systems and assurances of assistance against any threat from Turkey, Greece’s main geopolitical enemy.

The US also reportedly promised that any damaged Greek Patriot systems would be replaced.

Escalating Russian raids and the resulting civilian casualties underscore Ukraine’s dire need for additional air defenses, and while the possible passage of the US aid bill should partially alleviate the need, President Volodymyr Zelensky told an online meeting of the NATO Council -Ukraine on April 19 that European countries can still do more.

According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which monitors international aid to Ukraine, Greece has committed 185 million euros ($197 million) to Ukraine since February 2024.

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COMMENT OF THE DETECTIONS

International reports credit European leaders with urging Mr. Mitsotakis that Greece give up one or two Patriot systems for its defense against Russia. In fact, they invoke the promise of the Americans to Greece that in case of any threat from Turkey they will protect the country.

The reports cite pronews as their source and would be less credible if they did not also cite the Financial Times.

It is mentioned, in fact, that so far Greece has allocated 185 million euros to Ukraine. It is not specified whether it is money or goods.

The interest in this case is the promise of the Americans to Athens. After the experience of Cyprus in 1974 and the recent abandonment of the Kurds by the Americans, is there anyone who can trust Washington?

Second is the issue of the worsening of Greek-Russian relations due to the publicizing of yet another aid, but this concerns very few.

The most important, however, is the analysis made by Panteion University professor Kostas Lavdas on the war in Ukraine. In two words, Mr. Lavdas says, and I agree with him, that American aid to Ukraine is not to continue the war. But to form the conditions for an honest negotiation with Russia. If Ukraine goes to the negotiations with the current situation on the ground, there is no way for Putin to back down. They are trying to shape a decent situation from which some benefit could be derived.

But doesn’t Putin realize this? That’s why Ukrainian is in a dead end.

The West was defeated and Ukraine was destroyed.