After the joint statements with the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at Maximos Mansion, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a post on Twitter, announced the main conclusions of the talks with the Greek delegation.

Five outcomes of our talks with Prime Minister @KMitsotakis.

1. Greece joined the aviation coalition: it will train our pilots to fly F-16s. Greece is also preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine.

2. I proposed ways for Greece to assist us in securing Ukraine’s new… pic.twitter.com/saayynoA5I

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 21, 2023

Greece will provide training to Ukrainian pilots in the handling of F-16 fighter jets, which Kiev is to receive from the Netherlands and Denmark as part of the ongoing US initiative to strengthen the arsenal of the Ukrainian Air Force. According to the information of protothema.gr, the base noted is the International Training Center at 120 Kalamata Air Training Wing with the months-long training of Ukrainian pilots.

Also, according to the Ukrainian President, Athens is preparing a new military aid package for Kiev, without giving more details about what it will entail. As in any bilateral contact, the Ukrainians outlined a list of requests for reinforcements with military hardware that the Greek side did not accept, given that it is equipment that is essential for the Greek defence.

However, Greece is discussing the provision of stockpiled military equipment with the details of Ukraine’s new aid package being the subject of discussions between senior officers of the two staffs.

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Greece will assist Ukraine in securing Ukraine’s new Black Sea corridor, ensuring freedom of navigation and unhindered grain exports, Zelensky wrote. Given the developments in the transport of Ukrainian grain, after the collapse of the agreement with Russia on the use of the Black Sea straits, Greece is monitoring the processes.

Thus, Kyriakos Mitsotakis made reference in his statements to the port of Alexandroupolis, which has the characteristics of an international hub, either in the context of NATO or of the new energy map formed in the region.

In the light of the new developments, therefore, the port of Alexandroupolis could play a crucial role in a re-design of the grain export route, given that almost half of the ships participating in the transport of these cargoes are Greek-owned.

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The Ukrainian President referred to Greece’s involvement in Ukraine’s recovery, including the possibility of Greece taking over the recovery of Odessa. Also, after Greece signed the G7 Declaration in support of Ukraine, Ukraine and Greece will proceed to bilateral talks on security guarantees.

Greece’s interest in being present in the reconstruction of Odessa – both with vehicles and the great experience of Greek construction companies – is evident. After all, Greece has been present for centuries in the wider region of Odessa, whose historical center was added to the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites on a Greek initiative.

Finally, Ukraine is preparing to start accession talks with the EU this year and thanks Greece for supporting it on its path to EU membership with today’s signing of the declaration in support of its Euro-Atlantic integration, the Ukrainian President concluded in his post.

In the case of Greece, the Ukrainians appreciate its unwavering adherence to their side and the fact that the support was clear from the outset without any restrictions, both in terms of the war and the prospect of the country’s participation in the EU and NATO.

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