Greece appears ready to transfer the Patriot PAC-3 air defence system to Ukraine, but only with "guarantees" from the US regarding Turkey's threat and a financial compensation package.
Air defence for Ukraine from Greece
The Greek publication Рronews, citing its sources in the country's government, writes that Athens will give Ukraine the Patriot PAC-3 battery, which can shoot down ballistics, in exchange for security guarantees from the United States.
The journalists do not know what kind of guarantees they are talking about.
If necessary, the United States will transfer the Patriot to Greece from its reserves, replacing it with the one that Athens will give to Kyiv, or will provide monetary compensation from the aid package for more than $60 billion, which will be provided to Ukraine.
Рronews reports that Ukraine will receive one battery from Greece, but may receive a second one later.
Greece has six batteries, one of which is located in Saudi Arabia.
The day before, the Financial Times reported that NATO and EU allies are putting pressure on Greece and Spain to transfer air defence systems to Ukraine.
The armed forces of Greece and Spain have more than a dozen Patriot systems and others, such as the S-300.
Ukraine calls on partners to provide air defence systems
Ukraine needs at least seven additional air defence systems, such as the American Patriot or the Soviet S-300.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X on April 21: "Patriot can be called air defence means only if they work and save lives, and do not stand motionless somewhere in storage bases."
Only Germany announced the delivery of one Patriot system.
It is known that Kyiv is particularly interested in the outdated Greek S-300 systems, which the Ukrainian forces already have in their arsenal and have experience working with them.
Ukraine currently has at least three Patriot systems — one from the US and two from Germany.
