He met with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Friday, and remained in Greece on Saturday to tour Mount Athos, considered one of the holiest sites in Orthodox Christianity.
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Moscow has long said the establishment of a USA missile defense system in Eastern Europe poses a threat to Russia’s security.
Reuters reported that Putin didn’t lay out the actions that Moscow would take, but insisted that it was not making the first move. He described a newly expanded US missile defense system in Europe as a threat to Russia’s national security and said his country would retaliate.
Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski has said that a USA missile shield base being built in northern Poland is no threat to Russian security. “As soon as they are lifted we will take analogous steps toward our partners”.
The EU is expected to renew sanctions in a matter of weeks.
Putin arrived in Athens – his first trip to a European Union country this year – on a two-day visit and emerged from talks with the Greek government to lash the United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies, also accusing them of stifling trade and energy cooperation with Russian Federation. This was a historical decision taken by the people that live in Crimea. Russia’s president Vladimir Putin is due in financially struggling Greece F…
“The Russian leader also touched on relations with Turkey, which have been toxic since the Turkish military shot down a Russian fighter jet near the Syrian-Turkish border last November”.
“This will be the first time Putin has visited an EU country in the past six months and Russia-EU relations will be definitely on the agenda”, said Alexander Kokcharov of the U.S.-based IHS Country Risk group.
Accompanied by Greece’s Prime Minister Tsipras, Putin toured the Byzantine Museum in Athens Friday to promote cultural ties between Russian Federation and Greece. “The common religion and mutual sympathy that exist unite our peoples and help us overcome difficulties”, Putin said at a hosting reception of Hellenic Republic President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and the Holy Community of Mt. Athos.
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The Russian President joined celebrations marking the 1,000 th anniversary of the Russian presence at the secluded Christian Orthodox monastic sanctuary.
