Greece’s PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on all European NATO allies on Tuesday to boost their defense spending and create a common anti-missile defense given the developments in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Mitsotakis was speaking after the meeting in Athens with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on his first visit to Athens after taking office.
“We agreed on one of the fundamental priorities, the need to strengthen our collective defense,” Mitsotakis said.
“Greece invests a little more than 3 percent of its GDP in defense. We are one of the protagonists in Europe and I want to remind you that we invested more than 2 percent in defense and in the very difficult times of the bailout era when other European countries invested much less than that,” he added.
Mitsotakis is aware that US president-elect Donald Trump will be piling pressure on Europe to do more about its defense. NATO has been bracing for Trump’s return to the White House after he threatened in February to stop guaranteeing US protection for member states if he did not believe they contributed enough financially.
Greece pushes NATO on anti-missile defense
The Greek PM said that collective defense requires a strong defense industry and significant investments. He also stressed the need for a common anti-missile defense after Russia’s lunch of the Oreshnik missile, a hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile, against Ukraine.
“[There is a need] for a common anti-missile defense after the recent developments in Ukraine—I think this has become more relevant than ever. It is an initiative that would strengthen and complement the role of the Alliance on our continent and I think the time has come to discuss how this necessity will become action,” Mitsotakis stressed.
The Greek PM also reiterated Greece’s support for Ukraine, saying allies must remain consistent with the pledges included in the Washington Summit Declaration. “Our country stands firmly with those defending themselves.”
On the war in the Middle East, he expressed hope that the negotiations for a ceasefire in southern Lebanon will be successful.
On his side, Rutte thanked Greece for its support for Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression. Just last month, Athens signed a bilateral security agreement with Kyiv and announced it will accelerate F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots and technicians “strengthening their hand in this brutal war.”
“Our support for Ukraine has kept them in the fight, but we need to go further to change the trajectory of this conflict,” the Secretary General said.
Rutte visits Turkey
Before visiting Athens Rutte was in Ankara where he said that in a world becoming more and more unpredictable, Turkey’s contribution to the collective security of NATO is invaluable.
“In an increasingly unpredictable world, Türkiye makes invaluable contributions to our alliance, strengthening deterrence on our southern flank,” Rutte said in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency before his visit.
“Türkiye has the second largest army of NATO and an impressive defense industry as a strong and determined ally for more than 70 years,” he stated.
Related: NATO Allies Braced for Trump’s Call to Raise Military Budgets
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
