Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (right) welcomes Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras prior to their talks in Kiev, yesterday. Tsipras is in Ukraine for a two-day working visit.
Kiev, Ukraine: Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, speaking in Kiev on Thursday, called for an end to Western sanctions on Russia over its role in the separatist rebellion in eastern Ukraine.
The punitive measures against Moscow "have affected the Greek economy," Tsipras said, referring to a loss of millions in bilateral trade.
"On the one hand, we understand the need for a certain response to events. On the other, we think that all sanctions should be substituted for by some other measures," he said, without going into specifics.
Speaking alongside Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Tsipras added: "We impose sanctions in order to find a solution to a problem."
The leftist leader has repeatedly opposed EU economic sanctions on Russia, which President Vladimir Putin said in May had whittled bilateral trade down to 2.7 billion dollars (2.5 billion euros) in 2015 -- a 34-percent drop from the year before.
In 2014, following Moscow's annexation of Crimea and its suspected covert support for a separatist revolt in Ukraine's east, the 28-nation bloc slapped a ban on specific sectors of the Russian economy.
Moscow responded by halting imports of a wide range of food from the European Union and other countries backing Kiev.
That ban has been extended to the end of 2017, which Tsipras said would further hurt the ailing agriculture sector in his Mediterranean country.
Greece had exported fruits and vegetables to Russia, while Moscow sold Athens oil and natural gas.
Tsipras' decision to reiterate his opposition to the sanctions while standing next to Poroshenko, a staunch Kremlin foe, underscored the close relations between Greece and Russia.
Both are Orthodox Christian countries. Putin and Tsipras have met several times of the past few years, and last year signed deals on energy and tourism.
Other agricultural heavyweights in Europe, including Spain and Italy, have also spoken in favour of revoking the sanctions, calling for improved dialogue.
The Kremlin denies backing the insurgents in an eastern Ukrainian war that has lasted almost three years, killed some 10,000 people and driven two million more from their homes.
The conflict began less than two months after Kiev ousted its Russian-backed leader in February 2014.
Russia responded by annexing Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea the following month, which prompted the first wave of US and EU sanctions.
