Athens' will to send S-300s to Kiev 'risky step': Crimea official

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Crimea's Permanent Representative to Russian President Georgiy Muradov described Athens' intention to transfer S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine as a "risky step" for Greek national interests on Sunday.

Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Panagiotopoulos stated on Friday that his country is willing to send S-300 air defense systems from Crete to Ukraine if the US "installs the Patriot system in their place."

"Such a move by Athens would be not only a senseless demonstration of hostility towards Russia, but also a risky step towards its own national interests, which the Greek public is already loudly declaring," Muradov told Sputnik.

The transfer of these systems to Kiev is "certainly capable of radically undermining the Greek defensive potential," according to Muradov. 

This comes after Greece decided against the decision in March. 

The chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros, said Greece is not considering the transfer of Russian S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine.

"Obviously, we do not consider either relocation or transfer of weapons, it would weaken the country's defense capabilities," Floros told reporters. 

At the time, if a no-fly zone is too much for Ukraine to ask for, President Volodymyr Zelensky told the US Congress to provide Kiev with an aircraft and S-300 air defense systems.

"Is this a lot to ask for to create a no-fly zone over Ukraine to save people? If this is too much to ask, we offer an alternative. You know what kind of defense systems we need - S-300 and other similar systems," he told the US legislative body.