France is trying to increase pressure on Greece to supply Mirage 2000-5 aircraft to Ukraine. In particular, Paris is considering supplying Athens with Rafale fighter jets at a reduced price. This was reported by the Greek newspaper Kathimerini.
The issue of transferring Mirage 2000-5 aircraft to Ukraine has been discussed again following the intensification of defence dialogue between France and Greece, which, according to media reports, are set to renew their 2021 bilateral defence agreement in the coming weeks.
While Paris is seeking greater military support for Kyiv and is positioning itself as a key supplier of equipment and intelligence, Athens is in no hurry to hand over the fighter jets.
“Greece has already contributed air defense materials, including Crotale missiles and other munitions, but has stopped short of agreeing to transfer aircraft. French officials have proposed incentives to overcome Greek resistance, including the possibility of supplying additional Rafale fighter jets at a more favorable price. While Athens insists any transfer would require compensation, earlier French hesitation on this point appears to be easing,“ Kathimerini explains.
According to the publication, Greece’s refusal is due to the political climate at home and abroad. In particular, the country’s troops are deployed in several regions, and the Greek government is weighing priorities and financial commitments “linked to a US-backed fund supporting arms purchases for Ukraine“.
The pressure on Greece to provide Mirage 2000-5 aircraft to Ukraine was first reported in October last year. At that time, the country was asked to sell some of the 25 Greek fighters through intermediaries ,whose technical support will end in 2027.
Earlier, Defense reported that Greece planned to transfer 60 M110A2 self-propelled howitzers of 203 mm calibre, about 150,000 rounds of ammunition and thousands of 70 mm and 127 mm ZUNI missiles to Ukraine.
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