Greek Minister of National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos said that his country strongly supports Ukraine and its "struggle for the restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity".ATHENS, April 6.
/tass/. Greece is ready to send Ukraine another batch of BMP-1, artillery shells and ammunition for small arms. This was stated on Thursday by the Chief of the General Staff of the National Defense of Greece, General Konstantinos Floros, during a meeting of the Minister of National Defense of Greece Nikos Panagiotopoulos with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexey Reznikov. Their statements were distributed by the Athens Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).
Floros, welcoming Reznikov, stressed "readiness to transfer - in cooperation with the International Donation Coordination Center - another batch of BMP-1, 73-mm high-explosive shells, other ammunition for artillery and small arms, the continued readiness of [Greek] military hospitals to receive and treat the wounded Ukrainian soldiers and officers".
"In addition, we fully support the European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) to Ukraine, within which we actively participate in the training of its military personnel, providing highly qualified military instructors in many areas, such as special operations forces, training Leopard tank crews, etc.," the Chief of the General Staff said. Floros also mentioned the assistance that Greece has already provided to Ukraine: "72 tons of humanitarian aid, 3,870 tons of military equipment, STINGER anti-aircraft missiles, rockets, ammunition for small arms, a batch of BMP-1."
According to media reports, earlier Greece transferred 30 GDR-made BMP-1s to Ukraine, receiving German Marder armored vehicles in exchange. It was reported that Athens is ready to send 10 more BMP-1s, without waiting for the promised German Marder armored vehicles.
The Minister of National Defense of Greece said that his country strongly supports Ukraine and its "struggle for the restoration of sovereignty and territorial integrity." Panagiotopoulos said Greece had applied all sanctions against Russia "despite their cost" to Greece itself. "The Minister of National Defense expressed Greece's firm intention to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation with Ukraine," the statement said.
In turn, Reznikov expressed gratitude to the Government of Ukraine and the people of Greece for their support. "The Ukrainian Minister informed about the current situation on the battlefields, the preparation of a counterattack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the training of servicemen, and also repeated the request for the provision of artillery shells and heavy infantry weapons," the message says.
