The Minister of National Defense Mr. Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos participated today, Thursday, September 8, 2022, in a meeting of Defense Ministers organized at the initiative of the US Secretary of Defense, Mr. Lloyd Austin at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. During the meeting, the developments of the war, the equipment needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as the provision of training and defense material to Ukraine to counter Russian aggression and revisionism, which constitutes a flagrant violation of International Law, were discussed.

The Chief General of GEETHA also participated in the meeting Konstantinos Floros.

During his intervention, the Minister of National Defense emphasized that Greece provided, from the first moment, substantial military and humanitarian aid, as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, who defend with heroism and self-sacrifice the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. He also supported massive EU sanctions packages. against Russia, despite their serious effects on the economy.

Greece has offered shelter to Ukrainian refugees, while it has allocated a number of beds in military hospitals for the treatment of Ukrainian wounded and will provide hospitality, in military resorts, to children of Ukrainian soldiers who have been injured or lost their lives in the war.

Greece, he underlined, will continue to stand by Ukraine’s side for as long as necessary, and provide all possible support.

On the sidelines of the Meeting, Mr. Panagiotopoulos had short talks with his counterparts from Ukraine, Mr. Oleksii Reznikov, Germany Mr. Christine Lambrecht, the United Kingdom Mr. Ben Wallace and Italy Mr. Lorenzo Guerini.

After the completion of the work of the “Ukraine Defense Contact Group”, the Minister of National Defense, accompanied by the Chief of Defense Forces, had a meeting with the officers of the Armed Forces serving in the Allied Air Command of NATO (Allied Air Command – AIRCOM), which is based in Ramstein Air Base.