Greece is under pressure from NATO allies to provide more military assistance to Ukraine. The main demand concerns the possible resale of some of Greece's 25 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets through intermediaries, the Greek newspaper Kathimerini reports.
The US and France, as well as Eastern European countries that directly feel the threat from Russia, are the most active in influencing Athens. Washington is promoting Greece's participation in the "Priority Needs List for Ukraine" (PURL) program, which already includes mainly the Baltic and Scandinavian countries.
If the decision to sell is made, the Mirage 2000-5 aircraft could be transferred to intermediaries - the United States, France, Germany, as well as the Czech Republic or Estonia. The latter is particularly interested in purchasing these fighters, as it is one of the most active supporters of supporting Ukraine. The intermediaries, in turn, could resell the aircraft to Ukraine or provide it with other aircraft.
Greece has already purchased 24 of the latest Rafale fighters from France. Technical support for the Mirage 2000-5 will end in 2027, so Athens is looking for ways to get rid of the older machines. Negotiations with India for their sale have ended in vain, and other Balkan countries have also shown no interest. Greece is currently negotiating with France to purchase 6-12 more Rafales and is trying to reduce their cost in exchange for an agreement to sell some of the Mirage 2000-5s.
The Mirage 2000 is a multi-role single-engine jet fighter aircraft developed by the French company Dassault Aviation in the late 1970s. It was the main aircraft of the French Air Force in the 1980s and 1990s. The Mirage 2000-5 is an upgraded version of this aircraft with a new RDY radar and the ability to launch modern missiles.
Earlier this year, France sent the first Mirage 2000 aircraft to Ukraine, as announced at the time by the country's former Defense Minister, Sébastien Lecornu. However, the exact number of aircraft transferred is currently unknown.
By the way, the Office of the President of Ukraine previously reported that France is ready to train more Ukrainian pilots on Mirage fighters.