The Russian aggression against Ukraine brings, in a striking manner, the international community face to face with its responsibilities. That is because in the Ukrainian crisis there is a lot at stake: the boundaries of international law, the power of Treaties, and even the very right of states to be free. A lot is at stake: from geopolitical stability in Europe to the global energy balance.
As a fundamental principle, Greece respects the territorial integrity, the sovereignty and the independence of all states. Therefore, Greece unequivocally condemns revisionist acts that run against these values. Even more so, Greece condemns the brutal force that will unfortunately claim the lives of many innocent people.
This is why, as a member of the European Union and NATO, we coordinate our response with our partners in a way that it is not just common, but it also corresponds to this unprecedented Russian provocation. And of course, our eyes are always on our Greek diaspora, particularly in the area of Mariupol.
The Greek government adjusts its policies to the new realities, as they are taking shape. On a national level, we have already secured our energy sufficiency and we are working on ways to absorb, to the extent possible, the fluctuation of energy prices.
Nevertheless, this is a problem that concerns Europe as a whole, and therefore requires a European solution. This could even include use of European financial instruments to hedge against energy price spikes, for as long as they occur.
Finally, I will reiterate that these developments highlight even further the need for an efficient European strategic autonomy.
The global community has the chance to fight back against armed force and the questioning of borders and international treaties. The culture and the achievements of 21st century must not allow for the world to roll back to outdated conditions of violence and the settlement of international disputes by force. Our continent has suffered greatly from such ideas. The entire democratic world must stand up to historical revisionism at gunpoint. The responsibility of governments, peoples and the entire European family will be measured on this front. Besides, these are the very issues that we will discuss today at the extraordinary EU Summit, in Brussels.
