Greece, a member of the NATO alliance and the European Union has announced that it won’t be sending any more weapons to Ukraine.
The country which was amongst the states that have armed Kiev after the Russian invasion in February said it doesn’t have any more weapons to spare.
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It argued that it cannot afford to weaken its own defenses by sending more weapons to Ukraine.
“The defense equipment we sent to Ukraine came from our stocks. There is no issue of sending more,” Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos told the country’s parliament on Wednesday.
“There is no way we can weaken any part of our defense, especially on the islands, by taking a portion of it and sending it to Ukraine. I want to make this clear.”
Greece has already delivered military aid – such as portable rocket launchers, Kalashnikov rifles, and ammunition – to Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Greek Defense Minister had given an indirect, yet negative response to a request by visiting US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland on Monday, 4th April, regarding the possibility of Greece providing more weapons systems to Ukraine.
Panagiotopoulos stressed that Greece cannot contribute in a way that reduces Greece’s defense capabilities.
The American request was made during their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Athens while Nuland acknowledged the Greek contribution so far.
Greece had refused Washington’s request to transfer its heavy, Soviet-made weapons, such as the Tor-M1 and Osa-AK air defense missile systems, local media reported.
Athens had refused their concession not just because it didn’t want to undermine the Greek military’s defensive capabilities, but also due to practical matters such as the need for licensing in the case of Tor-M1 – from Russia itself.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
