Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis gave an interview to the American television network CNN, and to the journalist Nick Robertson.
The discussion focused on the NATO Summit, the latest developments in the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
The Greek Prime Minister spoke of a dark atmosphere at the NATO Summit, as he stressed “we never imagined that we would be facing a war on European ground”.
Commenting on the sanctions against Russia, Mr. Mitsotakis stressed that “we must be careful so that the sanctions do not harm us more than they harm Russia”.
Nic Robertson: The atmosphere was dark at the NATO Summit, wasn’t it?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I would say a darker mood, an understanding that our world has changed. All of us, who were elected to power, we never contemplated that we would be have to deal with a war on European soil. This was completely inconceivable. But that’s exactly what is happening.
Nic Robertson: So Greece has given military support.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Greece has given not just humanitarian but also military support. We are currently hosting approximately 15,000 Ukrainians. We know we have to do even more, but, Nic, we are a country at the forefront of the refugee crisis of the past. We are therefore very concerned about providing a safe environment for Ukrainian refugees. We will all need to do more – this is something we know in Europe – because the numbers of refugees are going to be overwhelming.
Nic Robertson: There has been a lot of talk about possibly blocking oil and gas from Russia to the European Union. But, there are concerns. The cost of energy in Europe is going up, I know that is a concern to Greece. You are looking to the European Union to find caps on the cost of energy and a solution for that. Is the European Union becoming divided under this pressure from Russia over the level and type of sanctions that can apply?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: We have put together a massive package of sanctions, unlike anything we have done in the past. And these sanctions actually do bite. We will see the Russian economy contracting by maybe 10%. All the gains that Russia has made in the last decade could be eradicated within a year. So these are very significant sanctions. Of course, when it comes to energy, we must be very careful that whatever measures we take do not end up hurting us more than they hurt Russia.
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Nic Robertson: But is that not the point of sanctions? It’s sanctions rather than fighting a war and the freedoms of Ukraine and the freedoms this war is about they do not come for free and European nations and the United States must expect some economic price to pay.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I believe that we are already paying a price. I believe that, for sure, we all need to reassess our growth forecasts, we are faced with significant inflationary pressures as a result of the war and energy costs are really hurting our citizens. But at the end of the day, as much as we have an allegiance to support Ukraine, we also have an allegiance to support our citizens so that they do not suffer more than they can actually bear.
Nic Robertson: Is America getting ahead of the pain Europe can bear on this with what America would like to see, what President Biden would like to see happen?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: The truth is that the US depends to a much lesser extent on Russian gas compared to Europe. This is the reality. Also, Europe’s energy transition is certainly not just a climate story anymore, but also a geopolitical story.
