Kiev has asked to have a decision-making role in how the naval drones expected to be produced together with Greece will be used, in the event of a military engagement.
This request, according to Greek media, has caused concern in Athens, which does not accept the condition imposed by the Ukrainian side.
The agreement between the two countries was reached in November last year, for the joint production of unmanned surface vessels (USV).
The project envisages that the systems will be based on Ukrainian drone technology, while production will be carried out through a mixed industrial structure, where Greek shipyards will play a leading role.
For Kiev, the deployment of these warships in the Black Sea against Russia is of strategic importance.
Meanwhile, Athens sees them as a comparative advantage in the Aegean, where it faces long-running maritime disputes with Turkey, which is developing its first unmanned warship in 2021.
However, according to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, Ukraine has requested to have the right to give approval for the use of these drones by the Greek army in case of armed conflict.
Negotiations are facing difficulties, as Athens considers this an unacceptable limitation on its military sovereignty.
Greek sources estimate that Kiev aims to maintain a balance in relations with Turkey, which it still sees as a mediator with Moscow.
However, the Ukrainian side did not accept this interpretation during the talks.
Greece is one of the last NATO member states trying to take practical advantage of the technology that has been rapidly developed on Ukraine’s battlefields over the past four years.
For years, not only officers of the Armed Forces of NATO member states, but also hundreds of specialists from large companies that produce or develop defense equipment, have worked together with innovative Ukrainian companies and the Kiev ground forces, practically incorporating many of these technologies into new and old products.
