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Greece questions France over potential missile sale to Türkiye

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Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias has asked the French Ambassador to Athens to disclose information about Paris’ willingness to sell METEOR missiles to Ankara.

The issue of the missile sale sparked strong reactions in Athens. ‘I expressed to the French Ambassador Greece’s strong opposition to such a possibility, which is incompatible with the hitherto excellent strategic relations between the two countries,’ Minister Dendias said after meeting with French Ambassador Laurence Auer.

The Greek ministry cited information suggesting that France was open to supplying Türkiye with the long-range METEOR air-to-air missiles used by the Greek air force on Rafale aircraft.

Greece has already purchased 24 Rafale fighter jets from France and is considering buying six more.

Türkiye is moving to fill the air power vacuum in the Aegean Sea due to Greece’s related purchases following its exclusion from the F-35 programme.

Unable to buy Rafale due to a mutual defense clause in the military agreement between Greece and France, Türkiye has turned to Eurofighter jets produced by a consortium of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

However, the main problem for Athens is that METEOR missiles, which can reach a target more than 100 kilometers away, can also be used by Eurofighters.

According to the Greek government, it is ‘contradictory’ for a producing country to sell weapons systems to two countries with which it has differences.

Meanwhile, La Tribune newspaper reported earlier this month that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would buy Eurofighter aircraft on condition that he also buy Meteor missiles to compete with the Greeks.

Sources in Athens stressed that Greece is supporting France in a difficult period by buying Rafale after Australia cancelled a 38 billion euro deal to buy French conventional submarines in 2021 as part of the AUKUS security agreement signed with the US and the UK.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a television interview last night that he had not been informed of France’s decision to supply METEORs to Türkiye.

However, the Greek leader said Ankara may have expressed interest and the defense minister may have acted ‘pre-emptively’ by contacting the French Ambassador.

Elysee had no comment on the matter.

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The puny raw of US’s love

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In February 2022, when Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, briefed his people that he would stay in his homeland and resist the Russian war, Ukraine had not yet been destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of people had not yet been killed and wounded.

Only a few months before Zelensky’s declaration of resistance against Russia, the President of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, had fled his homeland against the Taliban, the current ruler of the country that was occupied by US forces for the past 20 years.

In those days, nothing showed the distance between the patriotism and welfare of the two leaders better than Zelensky’s stay in Ukraine and Ashraf Ghani’s escape from Afghanistan. Everyone said, “Look at that zealous stay and this humiliating escape,” referring to Zelensky stay in Ukraine, and Ashraf Ghani’s escape from Afghanistan. But this was not the whole story.

What few people talked about was that Zelensky and Ghani, despite all their differences, had one thing in common – both of them had the “strings of America’s support on their necks”. It was so much that in the case of Ghani, the time had come to cut that string, and in the case of Zelensky, there was still more time left.

America brought Ghani to power in Afghanistan and kept him in power (as long as it was necessary to keep him). He had also made a promise to Ghani’s government, which had the “strategic” adjective.

According to that agreement, the US supported the Afghan government against opposition and subversive forces (such as the Taliban group). But when the time came, the Americans said which agreement? Which commitment? And they turned their backs on the republican government as if they had no familiarity with this system from the first day.

When Zelensky began to resist the Russian attack (with the approval and support of America), the United States rushed to help Ukraine with a large number of weapons, money, communication tools, and intelligence assistance.

Backup in case of Ukraine: US is not loyal

Ukraine was destroyed, but did not fall. Zelensky, who before the war could not come out of the shadow of his “comedian” in the past, became a tough and fearless hero, who has fought with one of the great powers of the world.

But for all the hopeful signs war-torn Ukrainians were getting from their leaders, one tried and tested variable (elsewhere) was still missing: How far America will stand with Ukraine. The Kurds had seen America’s loyalty as well as the Afghans.

These two experiences were not so far apart. But Zelensky should have seen with his own eyes what it is like to go to the well with America’s crude thread. When Donald Trump became the president, America did the same to Ukraine as it did to Afghanistan. Zelensky suddenly found himself in the position of Ashraf Ghani.

Now Trump’s America is going to release the rope that was tied around Zelensky’s neck and leave him alone. Worse, even accuse him of starting the war and ruling with a dictatorship.

Trump reminded Zelensky that he was a comedian again, not a war hero. Some will say that Trump is an exception. This statement is not true. Because the representatives of the US Congress and Senate, the same ones who previously considered Russia to be America’s number one or at least number two enemy, are now lining up behind Trump and clapping for everything he says.

Now, if Zelensky is removed (as Ghani was removed), it is not unlikely that Zelensky will also be forced to throw away the mantle of champion and become Ghani’s teammate. America is not loyal.

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UK considers post-war air patrols over Ukraine

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Sources in the British government and the Royal Air Force have told The Times that Britain may deploy Typhoon fighter jets to patrol the skies over Ukraine after the war ends and a peace agreement is signed.

London is reportedly considering setting up an “air police” mission similar to the NATO program that has protected the airspace of the Baltic states since 2004.

One of the sources told The Times that this option was more likely than establishing a no-fly zone over the country, which would require aircraft to patrol the skies over Ukraine 24 hours a day.

Dozens of “heavily armed” fighter jets, planned to be stationed in Poland and ready to take off at any time, are expected to take part in this “police mission.”

According to The Times, this solution could be part of the security guarantees for Ukraine and allow for a smaller military contingent to be brought in to monitor compliance with the peace agreements on the ground.

This would require the UK to deploy a significant number of aircraft and air defense systems.

“We are prepared to do whatever we are told to do,” said The Times’ source in the Royal Air Force, adding that discussions on the matter were still at an early stage.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously stated that his country needs 100,000 European peacekeepers to prevent Russia from attacking again after the end of the military conflict.

According to The Washington Post, however, the European Union (EU) is only able to send 25,000 to 30,000 troops.

Germany, Italy, and Poland doubted the appropriateness of this decision, while France suggested that the peacekeepers should not be sent to the line of contact with the Russian army, but to the rear of Ukraine, where they would train soldiers and supply the Ukrainian army.

US President Donald Trump supported the idea of deploying European peacekeepers in Ukraine but emphasized that there would be no US contingent.

In the first official talks between the US and Russia since the start of the military intervention in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed Moscow’s dissatisfaction with the proposals for the deployment of European forces in Ukraine.

Lavrov said that the Russian side conveyed to the American officials that the appearance of NATO troops on the territory of Ukraine, even “under a foreign flag, the flag of the European Union or national flags,” is unacceptable.

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First official Russia-US talks since Ukraine war begin in Riyadh

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Representatives from Russia and the United States (US) have commenced their first official high-level talks since the onset of the Ukrainian war in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The meeting is being held at the Diriyah Palace, a residence of the Saudi royal family. The Russian delegation includes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy President Yuri Ushakov, and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) President Kirill Dmitriev. Representing the US are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and White House Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

Discussions are anticipated to cover preparations for potential negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as the arrangement of a direct meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.

Before the talks began, RDIF President Dmitriev indicated that Russia had presented the US with several proposals in the trade and economic sectors, anticipating progress within two to three months.

“The American business community has lost over $300 billion by withdrawing from the Russian market. Thus, identifying mutual economic avenues and constructive solutions is crucial for the United States and other nations, which are recognizing the Russian market’s appeal and the necessity of maintaining a presence there,” Dmitriev stated.

Dmitriev further mentioned that Russia and the US should initiate joint projects, particularly in the Arctic.

A Washington Post source revealed that the Kremlin’s primary objective in the negotiations is the removal of sanctions against Russia, including those impacting senior officials and prominent Russian billionaires.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky previously stated that Kyiv would not acknowledge the outcomes of the Russia-US talks in Riyadh.

“Ukraine views any discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine’s participation as unproductive. We cannot accept any outcomes or agreements made about us without our involvement,” Zelensky asserted.

NBC News television sources reported that the US plans to conduct a separate meeting with Ukrainian officials prior to direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.

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