Greece to back EU line on Russia sanctions, including on SWIFT

Greece will support any European Union line on sanctions against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, including measures to cut off Moscow from the global SWIFT payments system, a senior government official told Reuters on Saturday.

“Greece will support the EU’s line on sanctions, including on SWIFT,” the officials said, declining to be named.

SWIFT is a secure messaging system facilitating rapid cross-border payments and the main mechanism financing international trade.

Such a move, if taken, would mark a further escalation of concerted sanctions by the West against Russia and would make it harder for Russian companies to do business.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Saturday, saying Greece had favoured the harshest EU sanctions against Russia after its attack and stood ready to provide assistance. 

[Reuters]