Greece refuses to transfer Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine despite pressure from US and NATO
Illustrative photo: Greece has refused to transfer Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine (Getty Images)
The United States and NATO are increasing pressure on Greece, urging Athens to sell part of its Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet fleet to Ukraine under the PURL initiative. However, Greece prefers to provide outdated equipment and is in no hurry to transfer high-tech aircraft, according to the Greek outlet Kathimerini.
Allies of Ukraine in Europe and NATO are exerting significant pressure on the Greek government to accelerate the transfer of part of its Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Kyiv.
The Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative envisions the resale of critical weapons systems that could strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities against Russian forces.
Athens has previously faced similar demands, but this time pressure is particularly strong from the United States, France, and Eastern European countries, which are urging Greece to make a tangible contribution by providing part of its modern combat fleet.
Outdated weapons instead of modern jets
According to journalists, the Greek government is reluctant to hand over modern, high-tech aircraft to Ukraine. Instead, Athens has proposed supplying 60 M-110 self-propelled howitzers of 203mm caliber, weapons dating back to the 1960s.
Technical support for the Mirage 2000-5 fleet is expected to end in 2027, which is prompting Greece to replace them with newer Rafale jets purchased from France.
Possible role of intermediaries
Should Greece agree to the demands, part of its Mirage 2000-5 jets could be sold to third countries such as the US, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, or Estonia. These intermediaries could then resell the aircraft to Ukraine or provide similar weapons systems.
PURL mechanism
The PURL framework, established by the US and NATO, aims to accelerate the delivery of vital weaponry to Ukraine through coordinated partner contributions — making the pressure on Greece part of a broader effort to sustain Ukraine’s defense.
Earlier, six NATO countries committed over $2 billion in defense support packages for Ukraine under the PURL program.
Meanwhile, US special envoy Keith Kellogg recently met in Kyiv with Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov to discuss security guarantees and the implementation of the PURL initiative.
