Defense deal moving ahead without asterisks

The agreement between Greece and Germany for the cyclical exchange of a total of 40 Marder armored combat vehicles and an equal number of Hellenic Army BMP-1s, which are being transferred to Ukraine, is in full force, according to Defense Ministry sources, speaking to Kathimerini.

Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos and his German counterpart Christine Lambrecht spoke by telephone on Monday evening about the progress of the agreement between Athens and Berlin.

The clarifications were made by sources at the Ministry of National Defense, following Berlin's decision to send Marder armored combat vehicles directly to Ukraine. So far, a total of 20 Greek BMP-1s have been delivered to Ukraine, while a total of 14 Marder vehicles have joined the Hellenic Armed Forces, specifically units in Thrace. The remaining six are expected by the end of January.

The procedures...