Greek officials denied media reports suggesting they were considering transferring Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine due to regional security concerns, particularly regarding its neighbor Türkiye.
This statement refutes information published by The New York Times about the possibility of Greece providing another air defense system to Ukraine.
“There is no discussion about supplying Patriot systems from Greece to Ukraine,” a government representative stated in an interview with Reuters.
Air defense systems, such as Patriots, are critical to countering Russian ballistic missiles launched at Ukrainian cities to ensure the safety of civilians and protect energy infrastructure.
According to military analysts at Ukrainian Defence Express, as of April 2025, Ukraine had seven fully operational Patriot air defense systems. According to military analysts at Ukrainian Defence Express, as of April 2025, Ukraine had seven fully operational Patriot air defense systems.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the urgent need for 10-12 additional Patriot air defense systems to effectively “close the sky” over Ukraine. He also stated that Ukraine is prepared to purchase ten US-made Patriot systems if allies are unable to supply them for free.
Ukraine asked Greece for air defense in 2022 too, but in vain
Ukraine first approached Greece about supplying Soviet air defense systems in 2022 but was refused. The reason given was Greece’s unwillingness to weaken its own defense capabilities.
The Greek Army possesses Soviet- or Russian-designed air defense systems, including Tor, 19 Osa-AK systems, and 20 upgraded Osa-AKM systems. The Greek Air Force operates several battalions (12 launchers) of S-300PMU1 systems, according to Militarnyi. Russia maintains an end-user license agreement under which Greece cannot export these systems to third countries without Moscow’s permission.
However, when the US later in 2022 offered compensation for transferring air defense systems to Ukraine, Greece responded positively but requested American Patriot systems instead of Soviet S-300s. Despite discussions, previous plans to transfer weapons to Ukraine were revised due to pressure from political opposition and “insufficient initiative” from Western partners who showed no interest in compensation with Western alternatives.
In early 2024, the US government again approached Greece with an offer of initial additional funding for the Greek armed forces amounting to up to $200 million, pending an assessment of the air defense systems, provided that Greece agreed to transfer them to Ukraine.
However, in November 2024, the Greek government was considering transferring its Soviet air defense systems to Armenia instead of Ukraine.
The Greek government views strengthening Armenia as a lever of influence in its confrontation with Türkiye, which has long supported Azerbaijan in the war over Nagorno-Karabakh. The transfer of equipment is expected to be preceded by the delivery of new Israeli systems, which should become operational in 2026.
