Mitsotakis on NATO Summit: It is not Greece's business to tell the US who to sell F-35s to

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made assessments to the press following the 36th NATO Summit of Heads of State and Government. He spoke highly of Turkey's hosting.

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Mitsotakis on NATO Summit: It is not Greece's business to tell the US who to sell F-35s to

Expressing his belief that it is absolutely necessary for European countries to take on a greater share of responsibilities within the Alliance to preserve NATO's unity and Euro-Atlantic character, Mitsotakis said, "This means we need to spend more resources to ensure a balance between the US and other NATO members."

Mitsotakis stated that US President Donald Trump has been putting forward this view for 8 years, and emphasized that he agrees with him.

Stating that Greece has exceeded its target of spending 3.5 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense in 2026, Mitsotakis pointed out that this rate was above 2 percent even during the economic crisis for his country.

When asked about the possibility of Turkey purchasing F-35s from the US, Mitsotakis responded only by referring to Greece's own plans on the matter.

Stating that Greek pilots will begin training on the F-35s prepared for Greece in 2027, Mitsotakis said, "It is not my job to comment on the choices of other countries. It is also not for Greece to tell the US who it should or should not sell defense systems to."

Mitsotakis pointed out that he has always been in favor of a productive and functional relationship between Turkey and Greece, and underscored that progress has been made in many areas of bilateral relations recently.

"TURKEY HAS ORGANIZED A MAGNIFICENT NATO SUMMIT"

The Greek Prime Minister said, "I always appreciate Turkish hospitality and I will say it once again, Turkey has organized a magnificent NATO Summit. I will continue to cooperate with President Erdoğan in the direction of a constructive relationship."

Responding to a question regarding Iran-US relations, Mitsotakis stated that he wants to be optimistic and believes that the situation will not return to what it was in recent months.

Mitsotakis noted that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a priority for European countries and the US, as much as it is for Greece.

News Source: 12punto