Mitsotakis on Patriots for Ukraine: “Whatever is possible, without undermining Greece’s defence capability”

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis answered the question of whether Greece is ready to give Ukraine Patriot air-defence missiles from its stocks, without however confirming or rejecting such a possibility. Asked in Brussels by the correspondent of Radio Svoboda, the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, after the end of Friday’s (October 16) European Council, he replied that Greece will do what is possible to support Ukraine, but not at the expense of its own defence. Asked whether Kyiv has submitted a request to Athens, he said he would not comment publicly.

“You know that we supported Ukraine by giving significant air-defence assets from our stocks. At the same time I want to be completely honest: we will do whatever is possible to support Ukraine, without undermining Greece’s defence capability. We are also in a sensitive region from a security standpoint and we have other obligations, but we stand by Ukraine,” the prime minister replied to Radio Svoboda.

Greece has in the past given Ukraine shorter-range air-defence systems. Since the summer, NATO and EU allies have been pressing Greece and Spain to hand over air-defence missiles, mainly PAC-2. An anonymous EU official told the same outlet that the Union is “helping” Ukraine persuade the countries that hold such missiles to share them, refusing to describe this as pressure.

The same day Volodymyr Zelensky asked EU leaders for 300 Patriot missiles before winter, while Spain has agreed to give five. Zelensky also said that at the summit there were discussions on European air-defence packages that include PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles, noting that “there will be news, there will be results”. The Greek government has not announced any decision to send Patriots.

The issue of the Greek PAC-2s had resurfaced with a Telegraph report claiming that Greece holds at least 200 PAC-2 missiles near the end of their certified shelf life. Athens also keeps a Patriot battery in Saudi Arabia, whose stay was discussed by Defence Minister Nikos Dendias in Riyadh. At the summit the prime minister had focused on cohesion, energy and migration.