Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba. File photoMOSCOW, Oct 19The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba said that Greece has begun transferring the BMP-1 to Ukraine. «It is very important that the long-awaited shipment of BMP-1 armored infantry vehicles for Ukraine has already begun from Greece. They will soon arrive in our army and instantly increase combat capability and defense capability of our country,» he said during a joint press conference with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias. The video of the press conference is posted on the official page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the social network Facebook *.The European air defense system is doomed to failure in advance, the expert said. According to the information service of the Greek Foreign Ministry, Dendias did not answer the question about the start of deliveries of infantry fighting vehicles to the Ukrainian side. When asked by journalists about the transfer of BMP-1 armored infantry vehicles by Greece to the Ukrainian side after receiving German armored vehicles, Dendias said , that «I would prefer not to speak publicly about the exchange of military equipment, but I informed my colleague in private about it.» also for humanitarian assistance.» The most important thing is the weapons that Greece is now supplying to Ukraine in order to be able to protect my country's integrity. The delivery of BMB-1 armored vehicles began today, and we thank you for your help. I raised some issues of military cooperation and specifically the air defense systems of Ukraine,» Kuleba said.
Israel refused to supply weapons to UkraineDendias and Kuleba gave a joint press conference from the shelter, where the Greek minister was transferred to the sound of air raid sirens, Greek public television ERT reports. Details of the trip were kept secret for security reasons. According to television, Dendias arrived in Kyiv by train from Poland. He was met by the Greek ambassador in Kyiv, Manolis Androulakis. This is the third visit of Dendias to Ukraine after the start of the Russian special operation, before that he visited Odessa twice. «I consider my visit symbolic, because I am here today to express the full solidarity of the Greek government — the government of Prime Minister Mitsotakis, Greek people to the Ukrainian government and the people of Ukraine,» Dendias said. His statement was spread by the information service of the Greek Foreign Ministry. In a joint statement, the Greek Foreign Minister condemned the «Russian attack» and focused on the close bilateral diplomatic relations between Greece and Ukraine, while he mentioned Turkish provocations.
Greece increased imports of Russian goods»The Greeks also have a big neighbor in our East. A neighbor who threatened us with war,» Dendias said. He stated that Greece «does not recognize the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territories.»During a visit to Kyiv, Dendias and Kuleba signed a memorandum of understanding between the ministries of foreign affairs of the two countries on cooperation in the field of diplomatic education. Dendias wrote about this on social networks and posted a photo of him signing documents in a bomb shelter against the background of pipes. Earlier, Greece and Germany agreed that instead of the East German-made armored infantry vehicles of the BMP-1 type received by the Greeks in 1994, the country would receive an equal number of German-made armored fighting vehicles Marder. Initially, it was reported that about 120 vehicles would be sent, but then Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that Greece would send a «very small» number of armored vehicles, 20-30 units, to Ukraine, provided that they are replaced in the Greek Armed Forces with modern equipment from Germany.
The United States named countries that will lead to a split in NATOThe Greek Ministry of National Defense announced on September 16 that Greece would send 40 BMP-1 armored infantry vehicles to Ukraine, in return it would receive the same number of German armored vehicles. A number of media criticized the deal, claiming that Germany would provide Greece with old armored vehicles, discontinued and without ammunition, in exchange for Soviet-made BMP-1 BMP-1s sent to Ukraine with all weapons. The news portal ieidiseis.gr wrote that the proposed by Germany «almost unarmed German Marders of the same age as the BMP-1, their production has long stopped, and there is not enough ammunition for them.» *Meta activity (social networks Facebook and Instagram) banned in Russia as extremist
