Greece officially joins EU’s SAFE funding

ATHENS

Greece has inked an agreement to join the EU’s SAFE (Security Action for Europe) defense funding program, European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius announced on June 13.

Kubilius shared the announcement on X, calling it an important step for the SAFE initiative and for strengthening Europe’s broader security framework.

Under the deal, Greece will receive funding to enhance its defense infrastructure in the Mediterranean region, with investments focused on three main areas: advanced surveillance technologies, encrypted communication networks, and systems designed to counter unmanned aerial vehicles.

The agreement comes amid Greece’s ongoing efforts to modernize its armed forces, driven by regional tensions with Türkiye in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean, as well as wider EU efforts to reduce dependence on U.S. security guarantees amid uncertainty over Washington’s NATO commitments.

Greece already ranks among NATO members with the highest defense spending relative to GDP.

The SAFE program is part of the EU’s response to the security challenges intensified by Russia’s war in Ukraine, aiming to coordinate defense investments among member states and reduce fragmentation in military procurement across Europe.