Cypriot President Denies Reports on Sending Weapons to Ukraine

Cypriot President Denies Reports on Sending Weapons to Ukraine

Cypriot President Anastasiades denied reports about sending weapons to Ukraine

Cyprus is not going to send Soviet and Russian-made weapons from its arsenals to Ukraine without receiving modern weaponry in return, President Nicos Anastasiades told reporters Thursday night.

The New York Times wrote, citing Cypriot government spokesman Marios Pelecanos, that Cyprus would hand over Soviet and Russian-made weapons in its arsenal to Ukraine if it received a replacement. It has, in particular, T-80 tanks, BMP-3, Buk and TOR air defense systems. Pelecanos himself later said in an interview with the Cyprus News Agency that there had been no specific consultations on the issue, although it had been raised in discussions and various contacts, either with European partners or with the United States. According to Pelecanos, Cyprus is not in a position to give weapons because it must ensure its defense capability.

Journalists asked the Cypriot president about arms deliveries from Cyprus to Ukraine.

“I want to say one thing. Cyprus is half occupied, it needs protective armor and we cannot survive without it. So I want to reassure you. We are not going to send weapons to Ukraine,” Anastasiades said.

“If there is a country that wants to replace our weapons with modern and equally powerful ones, thereby creating a decisive deterrent, that’s another matter entirely. We are not raising the question of sending to Ukraine,” Anastasiades said.