Greek Prime Minister at UN: Redrawing borders by force is unacceptable

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece, stated at the UN General Assembly in New York that any peaceful resolution of Russia’s war against Ukraine must start with an immediate ceasefire. He stressed that no peace formula is acceptable without Ukraine at the negotiating table and the preservation of internationally recognized borders.

“The true peace process cannot begin without an immediate ceasefire. And let’s be clear: there can be no peace formula without Ukraine at the table, and under no circumstances can borders be redrawn by force,” Mitsotakis said.

He emphasized Greece’s continued unwavering support for Ukraine, calling the war in Ukraine a struggle for freedom, democracy, and dignity, as well as the defense of a rules-based global order.

Mitsotakis also highlighted the need for greater European responsibility for defense:

• Greece already spends over 3% of GDP on defense and is ready to do more.
• He called for joint European funding for critical defense projects, particularly in missile and counter-drone defense.
• He stressed the need to make EU Article 42.7 on mutual assistance fully functional to guarantee the protection of all member states in case of threat.

“We firmly believe that the time has come for collective European funding of critical defense initiatives,” the Greek PM said.