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Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras giving a thumbs up inside an Air Force fighter jet F16 earlier this month Photograph: ANTREA BONETTI / GREEK PRIME MINISTERS PRESS OFFICE / HANDOUT/EPA

Over in Greece prime minister Alexis Tsipras has attempted to quash heated speculation the his government is about to cut a €2.4bn deal with the Washington to upgrade its F16 fighter planes.

Helena Smith reports from Athens

Addressing parliament the leftist leader insisted that no agreement had as yet been reached, saying “it is still under negotiation.” Far from being a €2.4bn deal the government had a “ceiling of €1.1bn” Tsipras insisted.

The Greek prime minister has come under fierce attack for the deal initially announced by U.S president Donald Trump during Oval Office talks last week.

Senior members of Tsipras’ own Syria part have deplored the deal, calling it outrageous that so much should be spent on a military agreement when the debt stricken country could ill afford ambulances and basic equipment in schools because of budget restraints.

Trump had said the €2.4bn deal would be a job creator in the United States.

Tsipras himself recently checked out Greece’s air capabilities, when flew in an F16 fighter during a visit to the military airport of Larissa earlier this month...