Tsipras Tells Russia Greece Helped Prevent Broader EU Sanctions

Greek prime minister is on a two-day visit to Moscow

The Wall Street Journal

By LAURA MILLS

Updated April 9, 2015 1:57 p.m. ET

MOSCOW—Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras told senior Russian lawmakers here that Athens had played an active role in preventing an expansion of European Union sanctions against Russia earlier this year.

The comments Thursday by Mr. Tsipras, who is in tough talks with European leaders about much-needed international funding, underscored the defiant tone of his two-day trip to Moscow, where he has criticized European sanctions and stressed Russia and Greece’s shared cultural and religious roots.

“We used the small force we have to help avoid further sectoral sanctions,” said Mr. Tsipras, in comments carried by Russian state news agencies. “You probably know that the position of the new Greek government is that sanctions don’t lead anywhere, they’re a dead end.”

European officials said at the time that there was no strong momentum behind sanctions amid a push for a new peace deal between Ukraine’s government and Russia-backed separatists, which was signed in February. Greece supported a plan agreed by European leaders last month to maintain existing sanctions.

“The European Union’s unity when it comes to restrictive measures has been confirmed regularly including with the new Greek government,” said Maja Kocijancic, the EU’s spokeswoman for foreign affairs.

Mr. Tsipras’s trip, a rare official visit by an EU leader to Moscow after Russia annexed Crimea last spring, highlighted the careful balance he is striking in seeking to bolster relations with the Kremlin and demonstrate an independent streak without doing significant damage to his ties in Europe. Russian officials recognize there is little hope that Greece will block any EU moves on sanctions while its finances are reliant on decisions by European leaders.

Mr. Tsipras’s visit, which included a meeting with President Vladimir Putin Wednesday, has produced no major announcements. Both sides said Greece hadn’t requested financial assistance, and Moscow gave no indication it was ready to fulfill requests from Athens to reduce the price Greece pays for natural gas or to exempt Greek producers from a ban on agricultural imports from the EU. Officials are discussing creating joint ventures to help Greek industries affected by the ban, but have given few details.

Mr. Tsipras also praised Russia Thursday as a potential security partner in the fight against terrorism across Europe.

“We are seeing that there is an unsymmetrical threat from the south, from jihadists. We cannot oppose this danger without Russia,” he said, expressing hopes that Greece could be a “bridge between the EU and Russia.”

In a nod to the countries’ shared Orthodox Christian faith, Mr. Tsipras met Thursday with the Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.

—Laurence Norman in Brussels contributed to this article.

Write to Laura Mills at laura.mills@wsj.com