Greece to Reportedly Send Military Aid to Ukraine

Reports say Greece has agreed to send military aid to Ukraine to help the embattled country defend against the Russian invasion.

Greece will purchase new military equipment for Ukraine from the Czech Republic this year, according to Greek media reports. The two countries are negotiating the cost of the equipment ahead of a formal agreement, according to Kathimerini newspaper.

The equipment will focus on ammunition and air defense, according to the report. Shells and supplies for protecting Ukraine’s airspace have been high on Ukraine’s wish list from its supporters in the 2-plus-year-old war.

Greece’s military aid to Ukraine

Athens wants to hand over to the Ukrainian Armed Forces:

• 2,000 Zuni air missiles
• 180 75-mm caliber rockets
• 90,000 90-mm caliber anti-tank shells
• 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition
• 70 American 155-mm M114A1 howitzers of American production

The howitzers come from Hellenic Army stock, but have long been considered unnecessary for its operational needs. They are, however, seen as useful in Ukraine’s standoff battles in muddy terrain.

This is the second batch of M114A1s that Greece will sell to the Czech Republic to have them transferred to Ukraine.

Greece agreed to a deal with Germany in September 2022 that it would receive Berlin’s Marder vehicles as part of what is known as a “ring exchange,” with Athens sending its Soviet-era BMP-1 fighting vehicles to Ukraine.

Mitsotakis visited the southern Ukrainian port city of Odesa this month and said he “heard the sound of sirens and explosions that took place near us” during the trip with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Reports have suggested that a Russian missile landed between 500 feet and 500 meters of the convoy transporting the two leaders.

“No one will intimidate us,” Mitsotakis said speaking at the European People’s Party conference in Bucharest, a day after the missile attack.

“I think we all have a message for the Kremlin: we will not be afraid, we will continue to support Ukraine and its brave citizens for as long as it takes. And we remain united on this issue,” he said.

“We showed our support to Ukraine in a way that was surprising to some of our enemies,” Mitsotakis continued. He noted that Europe has never shown such a response, with the sanctions on Russia and with the support of Ukraine militarily and financially.

Ukraine in need of fresh supplies

Ukraine is in need of fresh supplies, particularly of ammunition, as Russian forces inch westward in the war-torn country. Kyiv is dependent on Western military aid to sustain its war effort since Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, but its largest backer, the U.S., has failed to pass a substantial aid package that has languished in Congress for months.

The U.S. Defense Department announced a $300 million injection for Ukraine this month but described the aid as a stop-gap measure falling far short of Kyiv’s needs for the coming months.