Greece Donates Military Equipment to Lebanon as Security Contacts Deepen

Greece has transferred military equipment to Lebanon as a free donation, Greek media reported, adding a concrete element to the two countries’ expanding defense and security engagement.

According to Greek state media, citing AMNA, a Greek naval transport ship delivered 13 M113 armored personnel carriers and 10 general-purpose vehicles to the port of Beirut. The equipment was handed over to Lebanese authorities as part of Greece’s defense diplomacy. No operational details, end-use plans, or deployment timeline were publicly disclosed.

The delivery follows earlier Greek signaling that Athens was prepared to support Lebanon’s armed forces. In April 2025, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias visited Beirut and conveyed Greece’s readiness to assist the Lebanese army, framing cooperation around institutional support rather than direct operational involvement.

The equipment transfer comes against a sensitive Eastern Mediterranean backdrop. On November 26, 2025, Lebanon and the Greek Cypriot administration signed a maritime demarcation agreement intended to clarify sea borders and potentially facilitate offshore energy activity. The agreement quickly drew objections from Türkiye.

On November 27, 2025, Turkish officials publicly stated that maritime arrangements involving the island must take into account the rights and interests of Turkish Cypriots, arguing that the Greek Cypriot administration does not represent the island as a whole.

Türkiye–Lebanon contacts have continued alongside these developments. On December 23, 2025, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone call with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. According to Türkiye’s Presidency Communications Directorate, Erdoğan reiterated expectations regarding Turkish Cypriot rights while also underlining Türkiye’s willingness to take part in international mechanisms supporting Lebanon’s security and stability.

Greek reporting presents the equipment transfer as part of a broader defense diplomacy track. Beyond confirmation of delivery and the identification of the vehicles supplied, however, there is no publicly available information on quantities beyond those disclosed, intended units within the Lebanese Armed Forces, or how the equipment will be operationally employed.