Topics of the meeting between Mitsotakis and Biden: Ukraine, F-35, gas, Turkey

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed that Greece is considering purchasing modern US-made F-35 fighter jets and that a leading US defense contractor is looking to invest in the country’s aerospace industry.

“We will begin the process of acquiring a squadron of F-35s and hope to be able to add this fantastic aircraft to the Hellenic Air Force before the end of this decade. And I am delighted that on Friday Lockheed Martin officially expressed interest in investing in Hellenic Aerospace,” Mitsotakis said at the opening reception following a meeting in the Oval Office with U.S. President Joe Biden.

“Our two countries are working together on all fronts: on climate and energy, trade and investment, defense and disaster response, and more,” Biden said in his speech at a meeting in the East Room of the White House (while wearing a tie with Greek flags).

“It would not be an exaggeration to say that today our friendship and partnership, our alliance have become closer and stronger than ever,” he said. – We had a great conversation. And the most dangerous thing for all of you is that we really like each other.

Talks between Mitsotakis and Biden focused on the Ukraine issue and a united Western front against Russian invasion, and how the US would work in practice to help Europe become independent of Russian gas.

President Joe Biden once again praised Greece’s stance on the war in Ukraine, thanking Mitsotakis for “the moral courage and clarity you have shown since the beginning of this crisis: you have immediately condemned Russian aggression, welcomed Ukrainian refugees, been a bastion of security for the east and south Eastern Europe, NATO and the Mediterranean.

“Together we demonstrate the strength and ability of democracies to work together. And we help Ukrainians to say “no” to Russian aggression. And we say no to tyranny and the idea that autocracies will outpace democracies in the 21st century because, in my opinion, this is what is at stake,” the US President said.

According to Greek government sources, the two leaders also discussed the transformation of the northern Greek city of Alexandroupoli into a regional energy hub, as well as numerous and important US investments in Greece.

As expected, the Greek Prime Minister also raised the issue of increasing Turkish provocations, namely overflights over the inhabited Greek islands, stressing that they are part of the security issues in the eastern Mediterranean.

The two leaders wrote about their meeting on social media with a slightly different focus:

Today, I welcomed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the White House for a bilateral meeting. We reaffirmed our strong relationship, celebrated 201 years of Greek independence, and discussed our ongoing efforts to support Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/NvX3H7W1li

— President Biden (@POTUS) May 16, 2022

Today, I welcomed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to the White House during a bilateral meeting. We reaffirmed our strong relationship, celebrated 201 years of Greek independence and discussed our continued efforts to support Ukraine.

Είχα την τιμή να συναντήσω τον Πρόεδρο Μπάιντεν στον Λευκό Οίκο. ? Πιστεύω ειλικρινά ότι είναι στο υψηλότερο, ιστορικά, επίπεδο. https://t.co/HwK0S0Rd41 pic.twitter.com/5tgvFGDHvc

—Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) May 17, 2022

I had the honor to meet with President Biden at the White House. My visit is an opportunity to reassess the level of Greek-American relations. I sincerely believe that they are at the highest historical level.

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