Greece faces US pressure to bolster Ukraine defence efforts

The Americans justify their requests by emphasising the need to increase Europe's responsibility for arms supplies to Ukraine. Analysts from Defence Express point out the paradox of the United States pressuring Greece to strengthen Ukraine, which could simultaneously weaken Saudi Arabia in case of threats such as attacks from the Yemeni Houthis.

This situation may be linked to plans to sell American arms to Saudi Arabia worth up to 100 billion dollars (CAD 138 billion), as reported by Reuters. The deal is expected to be announced during Donald Trump's planned trip to Saudi Arabia from May 13-16 in Eastern Time.

According to analysts from Defence Express, the Greek armed forces have six Patriot system batteries at their disposal. They were purchased with PAC-2 missiles but with plans to upgrade to the PAC-3 standard, which enhances the air defence system's capabilities, allowing it to intercept ballistic missiles.

This solution is the most advantageous from Ukraine's point of view because it complements other Western systems well, which, although effective against other targets, do not handle ballistic missiles efficiently.

The Ukrainian service UNITED24 Media notes that Greece provides Ukraine with military, humanitarian, and diplomatic support, but often shows substantial caution, conducting transfers quietly to avoid escalating tensions with Russia.

So far, the Greeks have supplied the Ukrainian army with, among other things, BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, rifles, ammunition, and various types of rocket launchers. From Kyiv's perspective, Greece is a valuable ally because it is one of the last Western countries that still possesses Russian armaments, including air defence systems. As a result, Ukraine can obtain additional missiles for the S-300 or Tor-M1 systems from Greece. On the other hand, Greece did not agree to transfer the S-300 air defence systems or Mirage 2000-5 and F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.