By Alperen Aktas
ISTANBUL (AA) – Russia has accused Greece of taking a “defiantly confrontational” stance toward Moscow, criticizing Athens’ recent defense discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Athens, including plans to cooperate on unmanned naval systems.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in Moscow on Thursday that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ talks with Zelenskyy, held during the Ukrainian leader’s visit to Athens, showed that bilateral relations had entered “a new stage” since 2022, one she claimed was initiated by Greece.
“Athens was among the first to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces use daily,” Zakharova said, alleging that these actions pose risks to civilians in areas under Russian control and to what she described as long-established Greek communities living in those regions.
She argued that Greek authorities failed to consider the implications for "their brothers and sisters" in these territories and that Athens' decisions have created "colossal" risks to their safety.
Zakharova also criticized the Nov. 17 agreement between Greece and Ukraine to cooperate on the development and use of unmanned naval vehicles, calling it another “openly unfriendly” move aligned with what she described as the West’s efforts to “defeat Russia on the battlefield.”
She said Moscow had already delivered its assessment of the decision and warned that “an appropriate response will follow.”