Quote:
Originally Posted by finnbow
LONDON — Just days after shaking European economic policy to its core with a sweeping win in Greek elections, the radical leftist party Syriza is challenging a fundamental tenet of the continent’s foreign policy by seeking a softer stance on Russia.
Both before and after coming to power this week, party leaders have made no secret of their affinity for the Kremlin. They visited Moscow to show solidarity after Western condemnation of the Russian annexation of Crimea last spring. New Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made the Russian ambassador his first foreign visitor within hours of taking office Monday.
Now Syriza is complicating Western efforts to take a tough line against Moscow amid an escalating Russian-backed insurgency in southeastern Ukraine.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...6a0_story.html
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How dare Syriza "complicate Western efforts" to support the EU-backed coup government in Kiev? The nerve of those people!
The article speaks of overtures toward Russia from the new democratically elected government in Greece. There is no mention of Russian "interference".
I mean, let's get real here! First of all, the Syriza government has already declared that it has no desire to leave the EU or even the "eurozone". Second, after the royal rogering the Greeks received from the EU and Western bankers, they'd have to be fools not to explore any and every avenue for getting their country back on track.... except, that is, the avenues that took them to where they are now.
The article you linked to is very, very slanted, by the way, especially as regards the issue of increased sanctions on Russia.
"Now Syriza is complicating Western efforts to take a tough line against Moscow amid an escalating Russian-backed insurgency in southeastern Ukraine.
"The new dynamic was on display Thursday, with European foreign ministers gathered for an emergency meeting in Brussels to consider fresh sanctions against Moscow just days after shelling killed 30 civilians in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. But amid Greece’s doubts, the ministers could agree only to extend existing sanctions while deferring any decision on new ones after hours of emotional debate.
"'The discussion was open, frank and heated,' Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said in an interview.
"Although Greece is just one of 28 members of both the European Union and NATO, both organizations operate on a principle of unanimous consent, meaning any member can block policy with a simple veto."
The article implies that Greece exercised its veto to prevent the EU from imposing greater sanctions. The truth is that the EU members were pretty well split on the issue and, when one considers that France's Hollande, among others, wants sanctions lifted altogether, the vote to maintain them can be thought of as something of a victory.
"After years of Russian support for populists on the far right and far left in an attempt to undermine European unity, the election of Syriza gives Moscow a potentially critical spoiler at the heart of Western decision-making."
Again, no indication that the Russians actually are doing anything here, just that they might.
Booga-booga!
"'You have a lot of people asking themselves whether Greece is going to play the role of the Trojan horse,' said Ben Nimmo, a European security analyst and former NATO official. 'But nobody really knows. And you have mixed messages coming out of the Greek government.'"
See? Typical Fox News "Some people say...." with no substance and no facts.
The whole thing reads more like an op-ed but it's offered as reporting. Pretty disappointing, given it's from the WaPo.
John