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No plans to hand S-300 missile systems over to Ukraine — Greek cabinet spokesperson

A Greek government source told reporters earlier that Athens had not made any decision on sending Russian-made air defense systems to Kiev and replacing them with other weapons

ATHENS, February 5. /TASS/. Athens does not intend to put its national security at risk by handing S-300 surface-to-air missile systems over to Kiev, Greek Government Spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis told reporters at a briefing.

When asked if the cabinet planned to send S-300 systems to Ukraine, he said: "We need to rein in this fake news, particularly when it comes to the defense of the country and our image overseas." "There are no such plans at all and I strongly refute such reports. In any case, the government has never intended to put the country’s security at risk under its defense policy. That said, these reports are not true in any sense," the cabinet spokesperson added.

A Greek government source told reporters earlier that Athens had not made any decision on sending Russian-made air defense systems to Kiev and replacing them with other weapons.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis assured Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in a phone call on January 29 that Athens would continue to provide aid to Kiev both on the bilateral level and within the EU and NATO.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent a letter to Mitsotakis, informing him of the Department of State’s decision to potentially sell F-35 fighter jets and related equipment worth $8.6 bln to Greece. He suggested Greece should sell or donate weapons to Ukraine in return for Washington considering the possibility of providing up to $200 mln worth of additional aid to Athens. Greece’s Kathimerini newspaper wrote in this regard that the country’s political and military authorities had already approved the handover of outdated weapons to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the pronews.gr news website pointed out that $200 mln was not enough to purchase even one Western air defense battery that could rival the Russian-made Top, Osa and S-300 systems.

Last year, the Greek Defense Ministry stated that Athens would not send the S-300 systems stationed on the Island of Crete to Ukraine because it would weaken the country’s defense capabilities in the face of threats from Turkey.

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Ukraine crisis Greece

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