Kalenderidis calls Greek Patriot deployment in Saudi Arabia “tragicomic”

Retired Greek military officer and geopolitical analyst Savvas Kalenderidis has sharply criticized Greece's continued deployment of Patriot air defense systems in Saudi Arabia, describing the situation as “tragicomic” in light of emerging regional alliances.

Speaking on Open TV's “Ora Ellados” program, Kalenderidis questioned the strategic rationale behind keeping Greek Patriot batteries in Saudi Arabia, where they have been deployed for years to protect a strategically important location.

The analyst questioned what Athens has gained in concrete terms from maintaining the deployment, particularly as regional defense partnerships and geopolitical alignments continue to change.

New regional alliances raise questions
Kalenderidis focused on the evolving defense cooperation between countries in the region and specifically highlighted Türkiye's growing role.

He argued that the continued presence of Greek forces in Saudi Arabia should be reconsidered in light of new geopolitical arrangements, including the trilateral defense agreement involving Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan.

According to Kalenderidis, these emerging alliances have changed the strategic environment in which Greece's Patriot deployment originally took place.

His comments come amid broader debate in Greece over the country's military commitments abroad and the strategic value of maintaining defense assets outside Greek territory.

Cyprus issue also raised
During the television discussion, Kalenderidis also addressed the Cyprus issue and criticized Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's emphasis on a two-state solution for Cyprus.

Kalenderidis has previously argued that Greece's involvement in the regional security environment has increased following reports that Greek Patriot units had intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles.

He said that the confirmation of the interceptions meant Greece had, even indirectly, moved closer to the conflict in the wider Middle East.

The comments reflect an ongoing debate in Greece over the country's military deployments abroad, its relations with regional powers and the implications of rapidly shifting defense partnerships.