As Alexis Tsipras has arrived in Moscow with a visit many consider highly controversial, a Greek government official has insisted the prime minister will not be seeking financial aid from Russia.
Greece is still focused on resolving its debt crisis with its existing lenders, however, the country has not asked for any financial aid from Moscow, according to the official, as they want to solve the issues of debt within the eurozone.
The representative added that Greece's prime minister and Russia's president would discuss economic co-operation and bilateral investment and exports.
Before Tsipras's visit, European parliament president Martin Schulz warned him not to break with the EU line on sanctions imposed on Russia
over its role in the Ukraine crisis.
The Austrian finance minister has also fired a warning shot in Greece’s direction, the Guardian reports.
Hans Joerg Schelling suggested Greece should be careful in its dealings with Russia, at a time when Greece is almost out of money and trying to negotiate a deal with its eurozone creditors.
"It’s perfectly normal for talks to take place but I would urgently warn against getting closer."
"We are in the middle of final negotiations for financing for Greece and I don’t believe that a good game is being played here."
As the Guardian reporter has suggested, in Tsipras, Moscow sees a potential ally on a continent where it has few of them. Already, Moscow has reached out to European far right groups, including by giving a €9m loan to France’s Front National.Moreover, just before his visit to Moscow, Tsipras reiterated his opposition to EU sanctions on Russia, calling them “a road to nowhere” in an interview with TASS news agency.
Germany, however, has opined that Greece has no reason to believe Greece has changed its stance on supporting Russian sanctions.
Alexis Tsipras and Vladimir Putin are expected to give a press conference at 15.30 Moscow time.
