NATO Urges Greece to Supply Mirage 2000 Jets to Ukraine

NATO is pressing Greece to transfer some of its Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine to bolster its air defenses amid Russia’s ongoing invasion, according to Kathimerini, a Piraeus-based news outlet. This push is part of NATO’s broader effort to leverage allied stockpiles to support Kyiv while testing Greece’s readiness to provide advanced weaponry, given Athens’ historically cautious stance toward Moscow. Greece has previously supplied older equipment, such as 1960s-era M-110 howitzers, to Ukraine.

If approved, Greece would likely sell the Mirage jets through intermediaries like France or Germany, with Estonia also offering to facilitate the transfer. The deal would align with NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), enabling donating countries to replace transferred weapons with newer U.S. systems. The U.S., France, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Estonia are driving this initiative.

Greece operates 25 Mirage 2000-5 jets, acquired from France in the early 2000s, with maintenance contracts expiring in 2027 as France shifts to advanced Rafale jets. Athens has already ordered 24 Rafales and is negotiating for up to 12 more at a discounted rate in exchange for selling part of its Mirage fleet. A decision on the transfer could be finalized before the NATO summit in The Hague in November, where allies will discuss future aid to Ukraine.

The Mirage 2000
The Mirage 2000, developed by Dassault Aviation in the 1980s, is a fourth-generation multirole fighter designed to replace France’s aging Mirage III fleet. Upgraded variants serve in front-line and nuclear strike roles. Powered by an SNCEMA turbofan engine, it reaches speeds of Mach 2 (2,470 km/h or 1,535 mph), with a 1,550 km (963-mile) range and a 17,060-meter (55,971-foot) operational ceiling. The jet, measuring 14 meters (47 feet) long with a 9-meter (30-foot) wingspan, is equipped with revolver cannons, rockets, air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, and laser-guided bombs. Current operators include France, Greece, India, the UAE, Qatar, and China.