Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for a stronger European Union defense role and enhanced cooperation with NATO after meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday. The discussions followed Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which has spurred the EU to focus on bolstering its defense industry and capabilities. Mitsotakis emphasized that achieving common defense goals would require significant investments in defense and more effective collaboration between the EU and NATO.
Greece, which spends about 3% of its GDP annually on defense, is actively advocating for increased defense spending within the EU. However, despite rising expenditures, the EU’s combined defense budget of 326 billion euros in 2024 represents only 1.9% of its GDP, falling short of the necessary resources to adequately prepare for large-scale conflict, according to analysts.
Mitsotakis also mentioned Greece’s ongoing efforts to reform its military and defense industry as it recovers from a prolonged debt crisis. Additionally, Greece is in talks with Israel to develop a 2 billion euro anti-aircraft and missile defense system. The Greek leader reaffirmed his support for Ukraine, with Greece assisting in training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.
Rutte praised Greece’s contributions, particularly in accelerating F-16 training for Ukrainian personnel, and emphasized the importance of strengthening both defense investment and production. He stressed that NATO remains the essential alliance for protecting Europe’s security.
