Greece urges halt to Western sanctions against Russia
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has criticized the sanctions against Russia, urging an end to the measures taken by the West over the crisis in Ukraine.
“To get out of this profound crisis we need to leave behind this vicious cycle of sanctions,” Tsipras said following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday.
Moscow has been targeted by a series of sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union over allegations of having a role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin says the accusation is “groundless.”
In a tit-for-tat move, Russia has also enforced restrictions on certain food imports from the United States, the EU, Canada, Australia and Norway.
Speaking in an interview with Russia’s Tass news agency last month, Tsipras said Russia’s reciprocal embargo on food imports has “seriously damaged” Greece’s economy.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Greek prime minister stated that the fulfillment of the February 12 ceasefire agreement of Minsk is a key to resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Greece’s financial crisis
On Wednesday, President Putin said Greece has not asked Moscow for any financial aid, rejecting speculations that Tsipras may seek Russian money to restore the country’s tattered economy.
“The Greek side has not approached us with any requests for help,” Putin said after meeting with the Greek prime minister, who is on a two-day visit to the Russian capital.
The development comes amid fears that Greece will run out of money unless it can secure emergency funding from its international creditors, namely the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union.
The Greek government has so far failed to reach a deal with its lenders to unlock fresh funds in financial assistance.
The country received two bailouts in 2010 and 2012 worth a total of €240 billion (USD 272 billion) from the so-called troika of international lenders following the 2009 economic crisis.
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