The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Athens on Thursday of pursuing a “provocative, confrontational course” against the Russian Federation and taking “openly unfriendly steps” due to its decision to cooperate with Ukraine in constructing and using unmanned maritime vessels.
“Greece is pursuing a provocative and confrontational policy toward Russia, engaging in openly hostile actions,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova during a press conference. She added that Russia would respond appropriately to Greece.
The statement made during a regular Kremlin briefing, in response to announcements made by the Greek government during Ukrainian President Volodymyr’s lightning visit to Athens on Sunday. The announcement concerned the prospect of Greece and Ukraine jointly producing and deploying unmanned maritime vehicles (UMVs).
“Athens was among the first to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. The Ukrainian armed forces use these weapons daily against civilians in the Donbass, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Crimea, and other southern regions of our country. All of this is happening despite the fact that Greeks have lived in these regions since time immemorial,” said Zakharova.
She added: “This step, like many other anti-Russian actions by the collective Western world aimed at defeating Russia on the battlefield, has been duly assessed by us and will be followed by an appropriate response.”
“Threats against sovereign states are automatically rejected”
Greece’s Foreign Ministry quickly responded to Zakharova’s comments late on Thursday.
“Greece always acts in its international relations with a commitment to international law and respect for other states,” diplomatic sources said.
“Every state has the right to conclude interstate agreements. This is particularly true when the agreements guarantee energy sufficiency and security, which are prerequisites for human prosperity, as is the case with the agreement between Greece and Ukraine. Threats against sovereign states are automatically rejected.”