The Russian Embassy in Athens reproduced statements made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov which relate to Greece on their social media.
In posts on their Twitter account, the Russian Embassy accused Greece of being “forced or itself agreed to submit to the American dictate”.
This is a reproduction of comments made by Lavrov, who initially stated that Greece and Cyprus in recent years were among the most friendly countries to Russia in the European Union, highlighting that “economic cooperation was actively developing for the good of mutual interests”.
💬 (2/2):
Η ταχύτητα, με την οποία μετέβησαν όχι μόνο στο «στρατόπεδο» εκείνων του υπέγραψαν τις κυρώσεις, αλλά και στην ομάδα των ηγετών των αντιρωσικών δράσεων, ήταν περίεργη.
Καθρεφτίζει την επιβαλλόμενη γραμμή της επιθετικής αντιπαράθεσης και όχι το συμφέρον των Ελλήνων.— Rus Embassy, Greece (@RFEmbassyGr) January 23, 2023
He added that, “we were friends with the Greeks. We noted the transformations in the country’s leadership. They were forced or themselves agreed to submit to the American dictate. We drew this conclusion in relation to those who so happily supported aggression against Russia.”
💬 Σ.#Λαβρόβ:
Ήμασταν φίλοι με τους Έλληνες. Σημειώσαμε τις μεταμορφώσεις στην ηγεσία της χώρας. Αναγκάστηκε ή η ίδια συμφώνησε να υποταχθεί στην αμερικανική επιταγή. Βγάλαμε τα συμπεράσματα σε σχέση με εκείνους που τόσο ευχάριστα υποστήριξαν την επιθετικότητα κατά της Ρωσίας. pic.twitter.com/acnUrkGVnC
— Rus Embassy, Greece (@RFEmbassyGr) January 23, 2023
In fact, Lavrov questioned the speed in which Greece denounced the Russian military operation in Ukraine, describing it as “strange”.
More specifically, he said: “The speed in which they moved not only to the ‘camp’ of those who signed the sanctions, but also to the group of leaders of anti-Russian actions, was strange. It reflects the imposed line of aggressive confrontation and not the interest of the Greeks.”
Meanwhile, according to BILD, the German federal government plans to deliver 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine by the end of March.
At the same time, Athens could accept a later delivery of Marders to Greece, should Germany supply those to Ukraine first, a high-ranking Greek military told BILD on 6 January.
“Greece’s defence capabilities will not be affected if the delivery of the Marders is delayed,” said the military.
Last September, Greece and Germany agreed on the “ring exchange,” in which Greece was going to donate its 40 Soviet-era BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine in exchange for 40 German Marder IFVs for Greece.
On 6 January, the White House reported that the US was to supply the Bradley IFVs and Germany its Marder vehicles to Ukraine.
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