The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has requested Greece to send surplus weapons to Ukraine, following the agreement to sell fifth generation F-35 aircraft to Athens.
In a letter addressed to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Blinken expressed interest in Greece’s defense capabilities that could be useful for Ukraine, depending on its interest and a subsequent evaluation of the condition and approximate cost of the proposed items.
Greece currently possesses Soviet-era air defense systems such as Tor, Osa, S-300, and ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft systems, which are no longer in use. However, it is not known which of these systems will be sent to Ukraine.
In exchange, Washington will consider providing additional aid to Greece worth two hundred million dollars.
“We continue to be interested in the defense potential of Greece for transfer or sale to Ukraine“, said Blinken. “If these opportunities are of interest to Ukraine and before the US government evaluates their condition and approximate cost, we can explore the possibility of allocating up to 200 million dollars in potential additional foreign military financing for Greece“, said the US Secretary of State.
The proposal comes after the recent authorization from the US Department of State for a possible sale of 8.6 billion dollars’ worth of F-35 fighter jets and associated equipment to Greece.
According to the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, this agreement could involve the purchase of up to forty aircraft, forty-two engines, guidance systems, spare parts, and other associated equipment, with assurances that such transactions would not undermine US military readiness or disrupt the regional military balance.
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