The Greek Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, held a series of meetings with his British counterparts to assess the United Kingdom’s stance on the evolving geopolitical landscape.

According to the Minister of Defense, “the goal is to have a clear picture of how the UK government perceives the new situation in our broader region and the geopolitical challenges it presents—from Ukraine to the Eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea, Gaza, Syria, and the Sahel.”

Notably, Minister Dendias concluded his visit to the United Kingdom today with a meeting with his British counterpart, John Healey.

The two ministers discussed opportunities for cooperation between Greece and the UK in addressing regional and global security challenges, as well as ways to further strengthen their defense relations both bilaterally and within NATO.

In a statement regarding his visit, the Minister of National Defense said:

“My visit to the United Kingdom concludes today with my meeting with my counterpart, Defense Secretary John Healey. I first met Mr. Healey when he was still the Shadow Secretary in the Opposition. Over the past few days, I had the opportunity to meet with National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell, Minister for Defense Procurement Maria Eagle, as well as the Chair of the UK Parliament’s Defense Committee, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi. I also had a warm discussion with a former Chief of the Royal Navy, who has Greek heritage.

What I aimed to achieve with my visit to the UK was to gain a clear understanding of how the British government interprets the new situation in our wider region and the geopolitical challenges it entails—from Ukraine to the Eastern Mediterranean, the Red Sea, Gaza, Syria, and the Sahel. I believe this visit allowed for an honest exchange of views, and we will see how things unfold in this highly complex environment moving forward.”

Yesterday, Monday, February 24, 2025, Mr. Dendias met with the Minister for Defense Procurement, Maria Eagle, to explore opportunities for strengthening ties between the defense industries of Greece and the UK. They also discussed potential cooperation between Greece’s defense innovation ecosystem and its British counterpart.

As part of his visit, the Minister of National Defense also visited the House of Commons yesterday, where he met with the Chair of the Defense Committee, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, and committee members.

During the meeting, Mr. Dendias emphasized Greece’s stabilizing role in NATO’s Southeastern Flank and presented the “Agenda 2030.” The discussion covered the security situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, highlighted the UK’s importance to the European security architecture, and affirmed the commitment to promoting parliamentary diplomacy through the Defense Committees of both countries.

During his stay in London, Mr. Dendias also met (on February 21, 2025) with the UK’s National Security Advisor, Jonathan Powell. Their discussions focused on the security situation in the broader Eastern Mediterranean region, as well as other international and regional security challenges.