The excellent level of Greek-US relations was confirmed in the recent meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken while special emphasis was placed on Greece’s role as a pillar of stability in the region.
Moreover, further positive steps are expected in the field of defense cooperation and positive news are expected on the subject of the F-35 program over the next few days. “Greece, as a consistent and reliable partner and ally, will receive what has been agreed upon,” government sources said in terms of the armaments program.
The government wants to accelerate the F-35 issue so that the first fifth-generation fighters arrive in 2028. “I feel the F-35 issue will be over. It is a matter of time. Greece will join the F-35 program,” Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis noted in an interview.
At the same time, what is emphasized is that the specific issue is not connected to the F-16s that Turkey is asking for in order to say “yes” to Sweden joining NATO.
More specifically, according to sources, progress is expected on the issue of the F-35 by the end of February. Essentially, two steps will have to be taken: a letter must be sent from Washington to Athens for the acceptance of the offer and a letter to the US Congress to initiate the process.
“Regarding the decisions that will be made in the next period, we have made the request, as you know, for joining the F-35 program. We expect positive news in the next period in this regard,” the head of the prime minister’s press office, Dimitris Tsiodras, said.
