Greece has joined the dissatisfaction with EU sanctions against Russia. Now Budapest and Athens have started their rhetoric in unison. The reasons are political and economic benefits, which remain the main priorities of these countries, even if these benefits require the support of the aggressor.
The essence of the matter
Greece’s new position was revealed during the discussion of the 11th package of sanctions against Russia.
The fundamental difference between the 11th and previous sanction packages is that the first was aimed at the economy of the Russian Federation, and the last one is aimed at other countries that help Russia bypass the embargo.
Kyiv has provided a list of companies that are called “war sponsors”. There are some European companies among them. After Hungary and Greece began to protest against this list, demanding that certain companies be removed from it, there was no doubt about the sponsorship.
The tension is growing
The situation was openly discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers. The German minister was particularly sharp in criticizing Hungary’s actions. The actions of Greece did not go unnoticed. Athens insisted that a formal investigation (which would last many months) be conducted first, before proceeding with the approval of the sanctions package.
A second chance
Diplomats noted that despite such an unexpected position of Greece, they perceive it better than Hungary. Budapest’s pro-Russian line is much stronger so far, and Athens can still prove its non-involvement.
