Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has deepened Greece's relationship with Ukraine following his meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday evening, with a new military aid package being mulled by government and military leaders.
The Ukrainians reportedly appreciated the unwavering commitment of Greece from the beginning of the war and support for Kyiv's accession to the EU and NATO. The meeting between Mitsotakis and Zelensky was mainly about how Greece could further support the country, whose counterattack against Russia has failed.
Starting with military cooperation, therefore, Greece intends to train Ukrainian pilots to use the new F-16s that Kyiv will receive in the coming months from European states as part of the ongoing US initiative to strengthen the Ukrainian Air Force.
A military source confirmed to Greek City Times that the base chosen for the training is the International Training Center at 120 PEA Kalamata. The same source said that Ukrainians presented a list of military equipment they wanted from Greece, which, Greece rejected.
However, debates are emerging in government to send some military equipment, mainly armoured vehicles and ammunition. The details of the new aid package for Ukraine will be known in the next few weeks.
Then Defence Minister Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos told lawmakers on April 13, 2022 that Greece no longer plans to send military equipment to Ukraine because Greek territory should not be weakened, especially on the islands, by sending new weapons. Greece since this statement has sent more weapons though, a deeply unpopular move in Greece.
According to a poll conducted by MEGA TV all the way back in March 2022, 66% of Greeks disagreed with sending military equipment to Ukraine, and only 29% agree with the government’s decision. This was a time when most Europeans and Americans supported the initiative, a factor that is beginning to change a year and a half on.
For his part, Ukrainian President Zelensky has already announced a new military aid package, but this is yet to be confirmed by Athens.
"Greece joined the aviation coalition: it will train our pilots to fly F-16s. Greece is also preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine," he announced on Twitter.
Five outcomes of our talks with Prime Minister @KMitsotakis.
1. Greece joined the aviation coalition: it will train our pilots to fly F-16s. Greece is also preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine.
2. I proposed ways for Greece to assist us in securing Ukraine’s new… pic.twitter.com/saayynoA5I
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 21, 2023
The two leaders also discussed the role that the port of Alexandroupoli could play in redesigning the grain export route. Greece is greatly interested in this, given that almost half of the ships transporting these cargoes are Greek-owned.
Mitsotakis also expressed Greece's interest in the reconstruction of Odesa, mainly because of the experience of Greek construction companies.
It is recalled that Odesa's historical centre was added to the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites on a Greek initiative because of the city's significant role in Greece's independence from the Ottoman Empire.
However, the promise could be only lip work if Odesa ends up like Mariupol - conquered by Russia. The Mitsotakis government made numerous promises not to abandon the 100,000+ Greeks of Mariupol, something it ultimately did when Russia took control of the city in May 2022.
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