Mitsotakis: Greek Pilots Will Train on F-35s by 2027
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed after the NATO Summit in Ankara that Greek pilots will begin training on Greece's own F-35 fighter jets starting in 2027, under the existing agreement to purchase 20+20 aircraft from the United States.
Mitsotakis also pointed to legal obstacles blocking Turkey's potential return to the F-35 program, though he declined to comment on arms agreements between other states, saying it was not his place to weigh in on deals made between two other countries.
"The threat of war has no place within a military alliance" — Mitsotakis
On defense spending, Mitsotakis confirmed that Greece is one of only five NATO member states that has already exceeded the 3.5% of GDP target for 2026, placing it well ahead of most European allies. He credited Trump, who raised the burden-sharing issue during his first term eight years ago, saying the American president was "absolutely right." Greece has consistently exceeded NATO's spending benchmarks even during years of economic crisis, he noted, pointing to the country's unique geopolitical circumstances.
On the Turkish Casus Belli threat, which gives Turkey the right to declare war if Greece extends its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, Mitsotakis called it a "historical misspelling." He said the threat of war has no place within a military alliance and added that the time has come to leave it behind.
Mitsotakis said he will continue working with Trump, as the elected president of the United States, and reiterated that Greece's role in NATO is being recognized both by Secretary General Mark Rutte and by Washington. He framed Greece's defense posture as a model for European allies still struggling to meet the new 5% spending target being discussed for 2035.
