Greece resists Russia LNG shipping sanctions while aiding Ukraine
Athens is backing Ukraine with aid and infrastructure links, but fears new Russia measures could hit Greek shipping and invite retaliation.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
4 min read
The European Commission is reworking a proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia after Greece and other European Union members objected, Al Jazeera reported. The dispute shows the strain on EU governments trying to support Ukraine while limiting damage to key domestic industries.
The contested measure would bar EU-owned ships from transporting Russian liquefied natural gas to non-EU buyers, according to Al Jazeera. Greece says the rule would fall heavily on its economy because Greek owners control about 60 percent of the EU fleet, while the EU increased its own Russian LNG imports by 11 percent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
Shipping is not Athens’s only concern. Al Jazeera reported that Greece was also alarmed in May when a fisherman found a Ukrainian naval drone packed with explosives in an inlet on Lefkada, an island in the Ionian Sea.
Ukraine has used such drones against tankers in Russia’s shadow fleet, Al Jazeera reported. A senior Greek government official told the outlet that Athens feared both an oil spill and the danger of explosives near Greek territory, saying Greece did not want to become an area for war operations.
Greek officials told Al Jazeera that Ukraine later promised to take greater care. Deputy Foreign Minister Haris Theoharis said Ukraine’s foreign ministry, speaking on behalf of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accepted responsibility and apologized, allowing the two governments to reopen communication.
Athens has still expanded practical support for Kyiv. Theoharis told Al Jazeera that he signed Greece’s first memorandum on assistance for Ukraine’s reconstruction last month and that the two governments are working toward an intergovernmental agreement.
Greek companies have taken on at least four projects to rebuild hydroelectric power stations and other infrastructure damaged in Russia’s war, according to Al Jazeera. The funding is expected to come from Greek taxpayers, the EU and private investment.
Greece has also played a logistical role in the war effort. Al Jazeera reported that the port of Alexandroupolis has served since 2022 as a channel for US weapons shipments to Ukraine and began supplying Ukraine with LNG in November after Russian attacks on Ukrainian gas infrastructure.
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy says Greece has provided 170 million euros, or $194m, in bilateral military aid to Ukraine, excluding assistance through NATO. It has also supplied 1.14 billion euros, or $1.3bn, in military and financial aid through EU institutions, along with 9 million euros, or $10.3m, in humanitarian aid, according to Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera reported that Greece’s per capita contribution is smaller than pledges from some smaller European countries, including the Baltic states, which have committed 0.25 percent of GDP to Ukraine. Greece has made its contributions while recovering from bankruptcy and under a requirement to keep its budget balanced, the outlet reported.
Athens is also weighing security risks. A senior Greek government official told Al Jazeera that Russia could intensify hybrid warfare against Greece and that the country is still building defenses, including in cybersecurity and infrastructure protection.
Greek officials are also concerned about possible Russian disinformation before a general election due between autumn and early 2027, Al Jazeera reported. Those concerns have slowed a possible drone-production agreement with Ukraine.
In November 2025, Zelenskyy and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis issued a joint declaration in Athens pledging closer defense cooperation, including work on maritime unmanned systems, joint exercises and training. Al Jazeera reported that neither government has announced progress since then.
A senior Greek official told Al Jazeera that any drone deal would mean half of the systems built in Greece would be used against Russia, and said Athens was also waiting to see what kind of agreement the United States might reach with Moscow.
Al Jazeera also cited Tatiana, a Ukrainian academic of Greek background living in Greece as a refugee, who said Ukrainians have drawn encouragement from Greece’s 1821 war of independence from the Ottoman Empire. She said some Ukrainians see Greece’s history as proof that a smaller country can resist a larger power.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.