Greece is ready to join the international peacekeeping force in Ukraine. However, this is possible under three conditions.

Ekathimerini reported on this.

It is argued that the deployment of Greek forces is possible only if a ceasefire agreement is in place, there is no deployment on Russian territory, and there is a clear exit strategy if hostilities resume.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis intends to confirm these conditions at the Coalition of the Resolute summit in Paris on March 27.

The Athenians have made it clear that their participation is possible only after an official ceasefire. In addition, Greek troops will not operate on Russian territory, and if Moscow violates the ceasefire, they will be immediately withdrawn.

Although some European countries considered the possibility of deploying troops under the auspices of the EU mission, Greece, on the other hand, favors a UN-supervised operation, believing that this would ensure greater international legitimacy.

If the plans for a peacekeeping mission remain in place, Greece’s role remains uncertain.

The options include deploying ground troops to Ukraine or participating in naval warfare on the Black Sea. The latter option is better aligned with Greece’s defense priorities.

However, it is unclear how feasible this is, especially if Turkey’s proposal to take command of the sea patrolling forces is approved.

Athens is acting cautiously, balancing its commitment to Ukraine with national security interests. The deployment location will be crucial, as the risks to the military differ significantly in eastern Ukraine and western and central regions.

Coalition of the willing

Many European countries have stated their readiness or at least do not rule out the possibility of deploying their peacekeeping contingents to Ukraine in the event of a war settlement in the format of a “coalition of the willing.”

So far, Denmark, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Ireland, and the Czech Republic have made such statements.