Berlin does not understand why Athens will not bolster Kyiv with missiles, as reported by Politico.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recently stated that he “expects” countries with missile stockpiles to assist Ukraine, which has been facing continued Russian attacks since February 2022. He specifically named two countries, Greece and Spain, for their refusal to support the embattled country with missile systems.
“We were asked and explained why we cannot do it,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his interview with SKAI, explaining that the systems are “critical to our deterrent capability.”
As Politico comments, Athens refuses to commit to delivering missiles to Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky for security reasons, as the government is concerned about Turkey’s intentions.
Today, approximately 50 leaders will hold discussions via teleconference under the leadership of the US regarding the coordination of further military assistance to Ukraine.
However, today’s publication in El Pais, citing anonymous sources, reports that Spain will send a small number of Patriot missiles to Ukraine. Although the Iberian country has ruled out sending anti-aircraft defense systems to Kyiv, it will ultimately offer missiles, according to the Spanish newspaper. So far, the Spanish Ministry of Defense has not commented on El Pais’s information.
Spain has three Patriot batteries, which it purchased second-hand from Germany in 2004 and 2014, emphasizes the Spanish publication.