“Greece is not going to participate in any operation around the theater of current operations and I doubt that there is much European appetite for such a mission right now,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday, during a discussion with journalist Francine Lacqua at the Bloomberg conference “Greek Energy: The new Era” in Athens.
Asked what Greece would reply if it got a direct “ask” to participate, the prime minister repeated that Greece will “not engage in any activity in the broader area as long as there are military operations. We have been very clear from the beginning, we strengthen our defensive posture.”
Since the start of the crisis in the Middle East, Greece has extended its geopolitical and defense footprint to cover the needs of Cyprus, as well as responding to a request to assist in the air defense of Bulgaria, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday, during a discussion with journalist Francine Lacqua at the Bloomberg conference “Greek Energy: The new Era” in Athens.
“We were the first European country to send two frigates and four F-16 planes to respond to the call for help from our Cypriot brothers and at the same time we also responded to a request from our Bulgarian friends to help them with their air defense,” Mitsotakis said.
He stressed that Greece, in terms of strengthening its defense posture, has not only done its job but also encouraged other European countries to join in, thus sending a clear signal that the Eastern Mediterranean “should be a top priority area for Europe as a whole”, which he said was a positive step in the right direction.
Moving closer to the region of the Persian Gulf, he noted that Greece has consistently supported the EU operation “Aspides” with a mandate to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, though commenting that this has not been fully supported by all member states. He emphasized, however, that this is clearly defined geographically and does not extend to the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf.
Therefore, he added, “the simple answer is no, Greece is not going to participate in any operation around the theater of current operations and I doubt that there is much European appetite for such a mission right now.”
Asked what Greece would reply if it got a direct “ask” to participate, the prime minister repeated that Greece will “not engage in any activity in the broader area as long as there are military operations. We have been very clear from the beginning, we strengthen our defensive posture.”
While Greece has a strong interest in the freedom of navigation, he added, with Greek ship owners greatly concerned about what is happening in the area, “unless there is a European-endorsed mission, Greece will not participate on its own,” adding that the likelihood of such a mission is very low.
According to Mitsotakis, Europe will not be drawn in militarily but “certainly needs to focus on the economic ramifications” of the crisis.
He underlined the importance of the upcoming European summit and said that the repercussions for the economy and energy must be managed.
He also noted that this will be “a different story” if the crisis lasts a few weeks or if it drags on for months. Greece has been working actively for a rapid deescalation, he added. Greece does not consider that the issues in the Middle East can be resolved militarily, he said, but also does not consider that Iran should have nuclear weapons or threaten its neighbors.
Mitsotakis repeated that Europeans must focus on managing the consequences of what could become a very major energy shock, adding that no one can predict the end of the conflict while expressing hope that it will not be protracted. The longer the conflict continues, he said, “the downside risks are considerably greater than the upside benefits.”
The Prime Minister pointed out that the way Europe managed the energy crisis in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine needs to be analyzed in detail – what went well and what did not work during that period.
He stressed that it is very important for Europe to have a plan of short-term and medium-term measures, ready to be activated if needed to support businesses and consumers with energy prices.
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So, obviously all of these “Western” European nations do not even think that Iran already has/will have/is on the immediate verge of creating nuclear weapons which can be shot at them at any time now? What about all the ballistic missiles and thousands of drones they have and use, thanks to Russia, China and themselves? Some can fly 2,000-3,000 kilometers. Athens is an easy target. The Iranians have enough material for eleven nuclear bombs, as they openly say, and have every intention of using them against the West, including Greece. But let the Americans do the “dirty work”, like they have been doing for 75 years, protecting all of you! Greece will be invaded by both Turkey and Russia in the near future. Perhaps then the Greeks will regret their actions of today. Yet the Greeks celebrate Alexander the Great, who battled and defeated the Persians and conquered massive territories. How many years did the Greeks battle the Persians? To my knowledge, constantly from around 450 BC until 600 AD–one thousand years, just like the schism with the West–1000 years. Thereafter the battles between Islam and Christianity continued on to this day– for many centuries. That is exactly what these wars are about now. However, Greece is acting cowardly by trying to stay out of the picture, depending on others, like they have done in the past. But is, as usual, the “Evil West”, as many of their present day patriarchs and theologians still call us today, who are expected to come and save them! Although Russia and Ukraine have been fighting for centuries, and people do not even now about the Crimean War of 1853-56, when the US was just becoming a nation, the blame for everything which is happening politically today is being put on the US. As prophecies say, (in case anyone ever reads them), the US will only be in this Big War for about a year or so. Their homeland will be attacked by both Russia and China. At that point, the Europeans will have to defend themselves. By the way, there was never any period of history in Europe, outside of the Pax Romana, and then a short period of approximately 60 years when there was ever peace in Europe. The US and NATO have provided peace and prosperity for 75 years for Europe, but we won’t do it anymore. We are tired of the anti-US rhetoric. I’ve listened to it for 54 years, since 1972 when I lived in Austria, and now I hear it continually in Greece. We are tired of the continual criticism, the financial burdens, and the lack of cooperation. DO IT YOURSELVES! I am sure when Russia captures and invades Greece, there will be thousands of Greeks rejoicing, just like the Austrians did when Hitler took over.
WOW – my cats are scared to death now.
Keep those eyes spinning counter-clockwise!
Well, go back then to the US. The US, whose corporations and financial institutions funded the Nazi economy.
Fact is, the US has been screwing Europe, and the world, ever since WWII. The world has financed American living standards by being forced to use the dollar in international and oil trade. These are known facts.
Ajde, shhhsss shhhsss now.