Greece waded into the Israel-Lebanon conflict and decided to play both sides of the field. Hours after signing a security agreement with Israel, Greek President Konstantinos Tsoulakis stood alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and said he supports Lebanon’s position demanding a complete withdrawal of IDF forces from Lebanon—after Aoun claimed Israel isn’t honoring the ceasefire agreement while Lebanon is complying with everything stipulated.
Aoun met Monday with Tsoulakis at the presidential palace in Athens and again spoke out against Israel, saying the agreement must be fully implemented by both sides, not unilaterally and without selectivity. Aoun stressed that “solving the problem through military force will not succeed because Lebanon has already suffered the tragedies of war, and the time has come for it to find peace.”
At a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Aoun said: “We expect Greece to continue supporting the Lebanese army and the only possible solution, which is the complete withdrawal of the Israeli army and full control by our forces alone over all our land. I am visiting you and expect your continued support for Lebanon, out of our aspiration to soon establish a strategic partnership between us and Europe.”
After the press conference, Tsoulakis confirmed his country’s support for Lebanon in these difficult and sensitive times: “Signing an agreement with Israel, with whom we have a direct relationship, will strengthen Lebanon’s sense of independence and prosperity.”
Υποδέχθηκα σήμερα τον Πρόεδρο του Λιβάνου, Joseph Aoun. Η επίσκεψή του επιβεβαιώνει τους βαθύτατους και ανθεκτικούς δεσμούς των λαών μας, αλλά και την κοινή μας βούληση να δώσουμε στη σχέση μας ακόμα πιο ουσιαστικό περιεχόμενο. https://t.co/WWNIx1FdtT pic.twitter.com/7fbnD8x84D
— Prime Minister GR (@PrimeministerGR) August 31, 2026
The Greek president’s statement came on the same day Israel’s Defense Ministry and Greece’s Defense Ministry signed a massive security deal worth about €3 billion. Under the agreement, Israel will establish a multi-layered air defense system for Greece under a project dubbed “Achilles Shield.”