The United States is interested in the defence potential that Greece could transfer or sell to Ukraine.
The USA can provide military aid to Ukraine through Greece
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken appealed to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakis Mitsotakis with a proposal to transfer or sell weapons to Ukraine in exchange for $200 million in Washington aid.
If these opportunities are of interest to Ukraine, and until the US government assesses their status and value, we can explore the possibility of possible additional financing of the Greek armed forces in the amount of up to 200 million US dollars, Blinken noted.
At the same time, Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis said in his statement about an "important day" for the national defense and diplomacy of Greece. In addition, he emphasized that the letter received from the head of American diplomacy Blinken, emphasizes and consolidates the depth of Greek-American relations
The US State Department previously approved the sale of US F-35 fighter jets and related equipment worth $8.6 billion to Greece. According to the statement of the Pentagon's Security Cooperation Agency, which is responsible for the supply of military equipment and weapons abroad under intergovernmental contracts, it is about the acquisition of up to 40 fighters, 42 engines, guidance systems, spare parts and other equipment. The agency assured that the supply of this equipment will not harm the combat readiness of the United States and "will not change the basic military balance" in the region.
The US administration has already informed Congress about this decision. The legislature has 30 days to review the potential deal and possibly block it.
The letter also states that on September 27, 2022, the process of transferring $30 million from the US to Greece for defense procurement through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) process to encourage critical support for Ukraine was completed.
The Minister of National Defense of Greece, Nikos Panaiotopoulos, emphasized that Athens has sent humanitarian aid and offered military aid to Ukraine since the first day of the war.
Aid to Ukraine
In the fall of 2023, US President Joe Biden asked Congress for more than $100 billion for national security needs. The package includes more than $60 billion in new funding to help Ukraine. Republicans in Congress refused to support the allocation of aid, demanding stronger immigration laws.
The White House announced on January 12 that aid to Ukraine has been suspended until Congress approves new funding.
