Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias on Tuesday directly cautioned against the involvement of “countries that challenge or undermine EU member-states” in the Union’s burgeoning rearmament strategy, a thinly veiled reference to non-EU member Turkey.
Dendias pointed to the risks of allowing states into a new defense bloc that “do not share the same commitment to democratic norms and human rights”, or ones that threaten EU countries or don’t even recognize others, i.e. the Republic of Cyprus.
Ankara has long maintained a casus belli threat against Greece in case the latter exercises its international law right to extend territorial waters to 12 nautical miles. The standing threat emanates from a 1996 resolution by Turkey’s grand assembly. Successive Turkish governments have also disputed international maritime law granting islands a continental shelf, the Athens FIR’s jurisdiction in half of the Aegean Sea, and, at times, even the sovereignty of Greek island territory, among others.
Dendias emphasized that any defense initiative will lose its credibility if it includes “those who pose threats from within the walls.”
He spoke upon his arrival at an EU Foreign Affairs Council convened in Brussels, with Tuesday’s session comprised of member-states’ defense ministers.
SAFE Regulation and #RearmEU are an effort to rearm Europe, so that it will have the potential to defend itself. To defend an area of Democracy and human rights.
Greece has repeatedly underlined that, in order to participate in this endeavor, counries that wish to join in must… pic.twitter.com/mAJhspbMsq
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) May 20, 2025
Beyond the unnamed reference to Turkey, a NATO member-state, he highlighted that the meeting would focus on the latest developments in Ukraine, along with a series of other issues he described as being of “great importance.”
Among other priorities, Dendias emphasized the importance of the SAFE regulation and the “Rearm Europe” initiative — a coordinated effort to bolster the EU’s defense capabilities. This drive, he underlined, aims to ensure that Europe is equipped to defend itself and uphold its fundamental values, including democracy, human rights, and the protection of individuals.
The minister also underscored the necessity of aligning the rearmament strategy with the EU’s core principles. He stressed that participation in such initiatives should be reserved for states that fully respect the Union’s values, returning to a reference to Turkey.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte was present at the talks, while Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov participated remotely via video link.
Earlier in the day, Dendias attended a working breakfast with EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius, alongside fellow members of the European People’s Party — an engagement he posted on social media.
