Greece to train Ukraine's F-16 pilots
After Denmark and the Netherlands donated dozens of F-16s to Ukraine, a remarkable decision came from Greece. Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that Greece will support Ukraine for the training of F-16 pilots.
Greece will provide F-16 training to Ukrainian pilots, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a joint press statement with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy arrived in the Greek capital Athens to meet with the leaders of the Western Balkan countries, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the European Council Charles Michel on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the European Union (EU)-Western Balkans Summit and the Thessaloniki Declaration.
Mitsotakis and Zelenskyy made a joint press statement after their bilateral meeting.
"I stated very important priorities. We need Greece's support in training our F-16 pilots to end the occupation," Zelenskyy said.
Then Mitsotakis announced that Greece had decided to provide F-16 training to Ukrainian pilots, after which Zelenskyy thanked him and said that the details of the training would be determined by officials from both countries.
The Ukrainian president also emphasized that they need help to revive the grain corridor.
Greek Prime Minister also drew attention to the Greek community living in Ukraine for centuries and talked about Mariupol.
"It is not only a city with a Greek name, but also a city with Greek blood,” Mitsotakis said.
‘THEY MUST BE PUNISHED’
"We condemn the war crimes committed on Ukrainian territory. These crimes must be punished by international law," Mitsotakis said.
Furthermore, Mitsotakis pointed out that the whole of Europe is negatively affected by the war in Ukraine.
"By using natural gas as a weapon, Russia has caused an international energy crisis and inflation crisis," he added.
The Greek Prime Minister pointed out that Russia's withdrawal from the grain agreement would cause an increase in food prices and a food crisis worldwide, and stated that the grain agreement should be reinstated.
Underlining his support for Ukraine's EU membership, Mitsotakis said that the port of Alexandroupoli is an important point for sending aid to the allies and NATO's eastern flank.
He noted that Greece is ready to take part in Ukraine's reconstruction process.
JOINT STATEMENT ISSUED
A joint statement signed by Mitsotakis and Zelenskyy, released after the joint press conference, recalled the international steps taken in support of Ukraine and stated that the two countries decided to increase their joint efforts for Ukraine's membership in the NATO alliance.
Greece will continue to be involved in the NATO alliance's material and political support to Ukraine, will continue military, technical, defense, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and will join international organizations and allies in the reconstruction of Ukraine after the war, the statement said.
Source: Ihlas News Agency
