Greek PM talks East Med, Ukraine with US secretary of state
The war in Ukraine and developments in the Eastern Mediterranean were the main topics of discussion in a phone conversation on Monday between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The government announced that the main purpose of the conversation, which took place at Blinken’s initiative, was to coordinate closely so that Ukraine continues to receive aid to defend itself against Russia, as well as developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Although the official announcements from both sides were formal, it was abundantly clear that there are concerns in Washington about the way Ankara is operating in the region. In view of those concerns, there have reportedly been ongoing discussions to ensure that the situation in the Aegean does not derail.
US interest in the region is also reflected in recent efforts by Washington to convey the message that matters must remain under control to Ankara as well, as was evident in the recent two meetings between US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin.
Mitsotakis reportedly referred extensively to the situation in Greek-Turkish relations, highlighting everything that is being publicly broadcast by Ankara.
Sources said that the prime minister referred in particular to the potentially destabilizing effects that Turkey’s attempt to implement its recent memorandum with the Tripoli government could have.
The government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid al-Dbeibeh in Tripoli has practically granted the Turkish Petroleum Company (TPAO) the exclusive exploitation of every field that can be found on Libya’s continental shelf, as it has been illegally defined as early as November 2019.
In light of these moves, it is clear that a possible Turkish attempt to explore south of Crete will lead to a new protracted crisis.
