Greece and Russia maintain long historical, religious and cultural ties, which have always formed the basis of close cooperation between the two countries. In this regard, in the years before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, numerous bilateral contacts and visits at the highest political level took place.
The positive course of bilateral relations was interrupted, however, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Greece, like the rest of the EU member states, strongly condemned the invasion as a blatant violation of International Law, the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and global values. It supported all relevant decisions taken as a response within the framework of the EU and NATO. Our country is implementing the sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union.
The last visit of the President of Russia, Mr. Vladimir Putin, to Greece took place on May 27-28, 2016, and that of the current Prime Minister, Mr. Mikhail Mishustin, on March 24, 2021, for the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Struggle for Greek Independence. On the Greek side, the most recent visits were by Prime Minister K. Mitsotakis on December 8, 2021, in Sochi, and by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. N. Dendias, on February 18, 2022, in Moscow.