“Greece is attending the NATO Summit from a position of strength,” Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Chatzivasileiou said during an interview with ERTNews on Tuesday afternoon, while stressing that “Greek foreign policy is not determined by others.”

Mr Chatzivasileiou said Greece is a reliable ally and partner, serving as a force for stability and consistency in every major crisis that arises in the region. He also noted that the Summit in Ankara is taking place at a time of geopolitical uncertainty. According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, discussions are focused on assessing progress towards the target of allocating 5% of GDP to defence spending by 2035, as well as on collective European defence.

Speaking about Greece’s position, the Deputy Foreign Minister underlined that the country is at the forefront of the Alliance, consistently responding to the increased demands for security and resilience. He said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is traveling to the Summit with strong arguments and positions stemming from Greece’s strengthened geopolitical standing.

Mr Chatzivasileiou also emphasised the need to strengthen collective European defence, stating that “the discussion on creating a European defence pillar should no longer be considered taboo. Such a pillar would not operate in competition with NATO but would instead complement the Alliance.”

Asked whether relations between the United States and Turkey affect Greece’s own national issues, the Deputy Foreign Minister made it clear that “Greek foreign policy is not determined by others,” while recalling the strategic relationship between Athens and Washington.

On the issue of the F-35 fighter jets, Mr Chatzivasileiou was unequivocal: “Turkey cannot acquire defence equipment from the United States without the consent of Congress.” He also reiterated that, unless the CAATSA sanctions legislation is amended, Turkey cannot acquire F-35 aircraft.

Referring to European defence instruments, Mr Chatzivasileiou stressed that Greek diplomacy had succeeded in securing the inclusion of the principle of unanimity for European Union agreements with third countries. “This is a significant Greek achievement, and the credit belongs to Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis,” he said.