Washington is pressuring Greece to contribute to the PURL initiative, under which NATO allies buy weapons from the US for Ukraine. The corresponding request was conveyed by representatives of the US Embassy in Athens. This was reported by Ekathimerini, writes UNN.
Details
It is noted that the Americans recognize Greece's financial constraints but insist that Athens announce its participation in the program. Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis was urged to make such a statement during the NATO meeting in Brussels. Greece was offered to sign a framework agreement, leaving the determination of the specific contribution amount for later, but no announcements were made during the meeting.
It is emphasized that this is not the first time the US has raised the issue of Greece joining PURL. Since this issue affects Greek-American relations, it is handled by the Prime Minister's office. The Greek side has repeatedly stated that they cannot afford to disrupt the "sensitive balance" in the budget due to the financial situation.
Recall
Norway, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and Canada announced today the financing of support packages within the PURL initiative for American weapons for Ukraine totaling over a billion dollars, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom providing other practical assistance packages worth approximately another $40 million.