Athens is wavering on direct supplies of offensive weapons.
Greece is under pressure from its EU and NATO allies, who are urging Athens to provide more substantial military assistance to Ukraine, particularly through the sale of some of its Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to intermediaries, writes Kathimerini.
According to media reports, the main pressure comes from the United States, France, and Eastern European countries that feel the most threatened by the war in Ukraine. They are pushing for Greece's contribution to be not symbolic, like the transfer of outdated systems, but real—through modern aircraft.
Athens has traditionally been reluctant to share high-tech weaponry. Currently, Greece has 25 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, whose technical support will cease in 2027. Although the country has already purchased 24 modern Rafale jets from France and plans to order more, negotiations to sell the Mirage jets to other countries (particularly India and Balkan states) have stalled.
If Greece agrees, the planes would first be bought by the U.S., France, Germany, or smaller allies, including the Czech Republic and Estonia, before eventually reaching Ukraine. Estonia is particularly interested in such a scheme.
At the same time, Athens is under pressure to agree to Turkey's participation in the EU SAFE program for €150 billion for military procurement. Greece is categorically opposed, as Ankara continues to challenge its sovereignty in the Aegean Sea.
At the European Political Community summit, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that security should be guaranteed not only on NATO's eastern flank, hinting at the need for broader support for Ukraine. As reported by UNIAN, Ukraine received its first French Mirage-2000 fighter jets in early February 2025. The number of aircraft transferred was not disclosed.
On July 22, the Air Force reported the loss of one Mirage-2000 fighter jet—the first known case. It was noted that there was a failure of the aviation equipment. The pilot successfully ejected.
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