Limassol, Cyprus. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greece has sent the frigate Kimon to Cyprus to help defend the island, describing the deployment as defensive and peaceful. The vessel arrived in Limassol shortly after midday on Wednesday.
Mitsotakis outlines Greece’s stance
Speaking to Greece’s parliament on Wednesday, Mitsotakis said Greece’s attention is on Cyprus, which he said is closer to the warzone than Greece. He described Kimon as “the pride of the Greek fleet” and said Greece is present “with strength where national duty calls for it,” placing upgraded armed forces “at the service of universal Hellenism.”
He said the aim is to prevent threatening actions against the independent state of Cyprus. On the wider conflict, he said Greece supports de-escalation and a return to diplomacy, with respect for international law and maintaining the safety of international navigation.
Additional deployments and aerial incident
A second Greek frigate, Psara, also docked in Limassol on Wednesday. Four Greek F-16 fighter jets have been stationed in Paphos since Monday.
Two of the four jets were called into action on Wednesday morning after suspicious objects, widely believed to be Iranian-made Shahed one-way attack drones, were sighted heading towards Cyprus in the skies above Lebanon. The objects were intercepted, though one inbound passenger flight to Larnaca was turned around and eventually landed in Athens.
Earlier remarks and opposition response
Mitsotakis said on Tuesday that “any threat against the Republic of Cyprus, a member state of the European Union, is unacceptable in principle,” adding, “I do not think it is an exaggeration to say that today, our flag and our heart are in Cyprus.”
He said Greece is following developments closely and called for rapid de-escalation, noting that widespread conflicts in the Middle East have historically led to geopolitical impacts and humanitarian crises.
Greek opposition leader Nikos Androulakis said Greece has consistently been a pillar of security and respect for international law in the wider region.
How do you think Greece’s deployments to Cyprus will affect regional security?
