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GreekReporter.comEuropeGreece Supports Ukraine's Territorial Integrity, PM Mitsotakis Says

Greece Supports Ukraine’s Territorial Integrity, PM Mitsotakis Says

PM Kyriakos Mistotakis announced that Greece would defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Credit: PM’s Press Office

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Thursday that Greece will support Ukraine’s territorial integrity if Russia invades.

Mitsotakis said in Brussels, Belgium that he hopes for open lines of communication with Russia, but would support Ukraine if necessary.

“We reconfirmed our absolute unity, our support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and our determination to act in a coordinated manner and in consultation with our Euro-Atlantic allies, in the event of an invasion by Russia on Ukraine,” Mitsotakis told the press after a meeting of the European council.

“At the same time, we also reconfirmed our faith in dialogue and in the need for all the channels of communication with Russia to remain open, be it through the Normandy format, the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) or through bilateral contacts between EU member-states and Russia,” the PM added, speaking about a meeting held in June 2014 between German, French, Russian and Ukrainian officials.

Mitsotakis also said that Greece’s Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias will make his way to Moscow on Friday, where he will talk with Russian official Sergey Lavrov:

“Greece has an intense interest in these regional developments because there are tens of thousands of ethnic Greeks living in Ukraine. We want to keep all the channels of communication open. We are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.”

Secretary of State Blinken calls on Russia to affirm it will not invade Ukraine

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken addressed the UN Security Council on Thursday on the situation in Ukraine as the world watches Russian troops that continue to mass on its border.

Despite Russia’s protestations that they are beginning to pull some troops back from the border, western governments are skeptical that any real drawback has taken place.

The council meeting had been called to discuss the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, which Blinken said is “a goal that we all share, despite Russia’s persistent violations.” The Minsk agreements, which were negotiated in 2014 and 2015 and signed by Russia, remain the basis for the peace process to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the Secretary noted.

Blinken noted “As we meet today, the most immediate threat to peace and security is Russia’s looming aggression against Ukraine,” but added “The stakes go far beyond Ukraine.

“This is a moment of peril for the lives and safety of millions of people, as well as for the foundation of the United Nations Charter and the rules-based international order that preserves stability worldwide. This crisis directly affects every member of this council and every country in the world.”

Blinken went on to state that the basic principles that sustain peace and security, enshrined in the wake of two world wars and a Cold War, are under threat once again, including, he stated, “The principle that one country cannot change the borders of another by force. The principle that one country cannot dictate another’s choices or policies, or with whom it will associate. The principle of national sovereignty.

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