Greece Gets New Arms from Germany, Sends Older to Ukraine

Germany announced on Tuesday that it will send a fleet of cutting edge infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) to Greece, and then Athens will send its older weapons to Ukraine.

The announcement came after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during an EU summit in Brussels on Tuesday.

“We will provide Greece with German infantry fighting vehicles…The defense ministries will work out the details and quickly implement this agreement,” Scholz stated during the two-day summit.

The German leader did not specify which IFVs he would send to Greece, and Mitsotakis did not state which weapons would be sent to Ukraine. However, Germany has previously been criticized by many who believe it could send more weapons and support to Ukraine.

The two leaders discussed a variety of topics during their meeting, particularly the war in Ukraine and diplomatic matters with Turkey.

Germany and Greece discuss IFVs, Turkey

Greece and Turkey have been experiencing a period of heightened tensions after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan cut off talks with Mitsotakis after the Greek leader obliquely criticized the neighboring country while speaking to the US Congress earlier this month.

Ever since, Turkish officials have doubled down on claims questioning the sovereignty of a number of Greek islands in the Aegean, which has caused alarm in Greece.

On May 26th, Greece released an official statement to the United Nations which countered Turkey’s claims to the Aegean islands.

“Any attempt to call into question Greece’s sovereignty over these islands on the unfounded premise that Greece allegedly violates its obligation to demilitarize them under the above-mentioned treaties, is contrary to the fundamental principle of international law regarding the stability of boundaries and titles of sovereignty,” the letter read.

Turkey is using the term “Turkaegean” or “Turkish Aegean,” in highlighting ancient Greek monuments and archaeological sites in its new tourism campaign for the summer of 2022.

The west coast of Turkey, which includes Izmir, Ephesus, Ayvalik, Pergamon, and many well-known historical sites with a rich Greek history, is one of the seven major regions of the country.

In its campaign, Turkey says that the “Aegean Region of Türkiye offers you beautiful landscapes, dazzling coastlines, immaculate beaches, pine woods and olive groves; perfect for nature lovers, photographers, history buffs and adrenaline junkies. Many popular holiday villages and fishing harbors are scattered up and down the coast.”