Despite the personal appearance in Cyprus by Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, the Cypriot government flatly turned his request for weapons. The spokesman for the Cyprus government Constantinos Letymiotis announced yesterday, “The country will not give weapons to Ukraine, because we cannot afford to send them to Ukraine as we need them for our own protection.”
Reznikov met with Cypriot Defense Minister Michalis Giorgallas, and asked for for weapons, in the context of an American proposal for Cyprus to deliver its BUK-M1-2 and TOR-M1 air defense systems, as well as T-80U tanks and the TOMA BMP-3 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. The U.S. had offered to give Cyprus Israeli air defense systems, to replace the Russian ones, but Nicosia rejected the proposal, since it would be two years before the Israeli systems could be delivered.
Letymiotis explained that Cyprus is committed to extending humanitarian aid and will train Ukrainian military personnel in demining operations.
