Ekathimerini: US pressures Greece to join PURL

The United States is pressuring Greece to join the PURL initiative to purchase American weapons for Ukraine. This was reported by the Greek media Ekathimerini citing unnamed interlocutors among the country's officials.

Washington is pressuring Athens to contribute to the program. Before the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday, December 3, representatives of the US Embassy in Athens conveyed a request for Greece to join the PURL.

U.S. diplomats reiterated their appreciation for Greece's "principled position" on Ukraine and acknowledged the existence of financial constraints as the end of the year approaches, but insisted that Athens announce its participation.

They urged Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis to announce his participation in the NATO meeting and proposed signing a general framework agreement as a sign of readiness, postponing the question of the size of the contribution to a later date. Washington also advised Athens not to join the minority of NATO states that do not contribute.

The Greek foreign minister met on the sidelines of the summit with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, but no announcements were made.

The United States has repeatedly raised the issue of PURLs since President Donald Trump announced the launch of the program. Greek officials also discussed this issue with American diplomats.

The article states that since this issue affects Greek-American relations, it is being handled by the Prime Minister's Office. Both now and at previous stages, the Americans have been told that the country's financial situation does not allow for the delicate balance achieved.

• On December 3, Tayyani stated that the participation of his country in the PURL program will be "premature" against the backdrop of intensified negotiations to resolve Russia's war against Ukraine.