The Greek government is facing a diplomatic deadlock as Washington is pushing Athens to send Russia-made anti-aircraft missile systems S-300 to Ukraine but keeps mum regarding replacing them with US-made Patriots.
News website News247 reported that Washington is pressuring Athens to send the S-300 to Ukraine but without seeming willing to replace them with their own Patriots.
Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos reportedly left open the possibility of sending the S-300s to Ukraine, provided the US first deploys Patriot missiles on the island of Crete and integrates them into the national air defence system.
He also noted that the same process applies to any other Russian air defence system the US would like to send to Ukraine.
With growing hostility from Turkey, Greece wants to ensure its defence capabilities will not be affected.
On 19 December, thirty-one Turkish aircraft, of which twenty carried weapons, violated Greece’s airspace across the Aegean Sea without filing a flight plan.
HellasJournal portal recently asked the US government if Washington would replace S-300 with Patriots.
State Department spokesperson Edward Price replied, throwing the ball back to Greece’s court.
“Each country should decide for itself what it is able to prepare and provide to Ukraine. And we certainly appreciate the many ways in which the international community, including Greece, has shown its support,” Price said.
“We always refer to the (relevant) countries regarding any contribution they make or may make to Ukraine’s self-defence”, the former intelligence official added.
Fierce warning by Russia
Meanwhile, Russia has warned Athens against sending S-300 to Ukraine.
“We consider the provocative intentions to supply the Kyiv regime with the S-300 and other Russian/Soviet-style air defence systems openly hostile to Russia,” said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
Zakharova added that one should have no doubt that all military equipment sent to Kyiv will be “promptly detected and destroyed by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation”.
“Before it is too late, Greece can abandon the dangerous plans. Once again, we warn the Greek leadership of its responsibility”, she added.
Previously, Russia’s permanent representative Crimea Georgy Muratov had said that such a move would be “a dangerous step towards its national interests”.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Greek-Russian relations have reached an all-time low.
Moscow always refers to polls suggesting that the vast majority of Greeks (63%) oppose dispatching weapons to Ukraine as it puts Greece “in dangerous situations”.
According to a March poll, 32% believe that humanitarian aid and war material should be sent, while only 1% say that “only war material” should be dispatched.
(Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com, EURACTIV.gr)
Source: euractiv.com
