U.S. and European Countries Pressure Greece Over Sale of Mirage 2000-5 Jets to Ukraine

The United States and European countries are pressuring Greece to sell at least some of the 25 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets to Ukraine, which the country plans to decommission.

The Greek outlet Ekathimerini reported on this.

The demand for Greece to make more than just a symbolic contribution is primarily coming from the United States, France, and Eastern European countries.

In particular, the United States is encouraging Greece to purchase more American weapons systems through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative.

If Greece decides to move forward with the plan, which, according to the outlet, seems unlikely, it would sell the Mirage 2000-5 jets to intermediaries such as the U.S., France, and Germany, as well as to smaller countries like the Czech Republic and Estonia. The latter, one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, has reportedly expressed interest in acquiring some of the aircraft, the report notes. These intermediaries would then either transfer the jets to Ukraine or provide it with other aircraft.

Technical support for the Mirage 2000-5 is scheduled to end in 2027, prompting Greece to explore options for offloading its older aircraft. However, negotiations with India over a potential sale have reached a deadlock, and no other Balkan countries have shown interest.

Greece is also in talks with France about purchasing an additional 6 to 12 Rafale jets and is negotiating for a lower price in exchange for selling part of its Mirage 2000-5 fleet.

Plans to decommission and sell Greece’s older fighter jet models first came to light in March 2024. At the time, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias confirmed the government’s intention to radically restructure the Greek Armed Forces as part of what he called “the largest reform program in the history of the modern Greek state.”

“We operate a wide variety of aircraft types. We have the F-4, Mirage 2000-5, F-16 Block 30, F-16 Block 50, F-16 Block 52, F-16 Block 70, and the Rafale. We cannot continue down this path. The F-4s need to be retired and, if possible, sold. The Mirage 2000-5 is an extremely capable aircraft, and it can be sold. The F-16 Block 30s should also be sold. I believe we will be able to sell both the Mirage 2000-5 and the F-16s,” Dendias said, pointing to the enormous costs of maintaining such a diverse fleet.

In July 2024, Al Jazeera reported that Greece was considering the sale of around 30 F-16 fighter jets to the United States. After undergoing repairs and upgrades, these aircraft could potentially be transferred to Ukraine.

The decision to decommission these jets stems from their technical condition, which makes it impossible to upgrade them to the advanced Block 70 Viper standard.

According to the report, Greece intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the F-16s to the U.S. to help finance the purchase of new F-35 fighter jets.