Newspaper: Greece under NATO pressure to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine

Greece is facing sustained pressure from its NATO and European Union partners to supply Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine, according to a report by Kathimerini newspaper citing informed sources.

Kyiv has reportedly requested up to 200 PAC-2 missiles from the inventory of the Hellenic Air Force's Patriot batteries.

The targeted stockpile consists of missiles that have been in service with the Greek military for 23 years. Ukrainian officials believe that while these interceptors may be approaching the end of their operational lifespan, they remain highly effective for active combat operations.

The missile-specific request follows a series of unsuccessful discussions regarding the potential transfer of complete systems. Greece currently operates six Patriot batteries, and while some European allies have argued that Athens should part with some of its hardware, the focus of Ukrainian lobbying has shifted from entire systems to munitions.

Under the current proposal, any prospective transfer would depend on Greece designating the missiles as surplus — meaning they are deemed usable but not strictly necessary for Greece’s immediate national defence requirements. One option currently being floated is a trilateral agreement where Athens would sell the ageing PAC-2 missiles to Norway, which would then fund and deliver them directly to Ukraine.

Athens, however, has given no indication that it intends to agree to the proposal.

Greek officials have pushed back against the diplomatic pressure, arguing that Athens is already making significant contributions to collective Western security. Notably, Greece currently deploys one of its active Patriot batteries to Saudi Arabia to defend critical oil and refinery infrastructure.

Athens has also pointed to its track record of military aid to Ukraine, highlighting that it previously supplied Sea Sparrow and Crotale missiles after those specific systems approached the end of their operational usefulness for the Greek armed forces.

By Tamilla Hasanova