Kammenos confirms Obama-Tsipras exchange over Russia at NATO summit

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos has confirmed a media report that during a NATO dinner in Poland on Friday, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras urged the leaders of the 28-member transatlantic alliance to end the stand-off with Moscow, only to draw a reaction from US President Barack Obama.

According to a report in the Financial Times on Sunday, as NATO leaders sat down for dinner in Warsaw’s presidential palace, Tsipras “broke form the official consensus and argued for partnership with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president” to end the crisis in Syria.

“His position was quickly slapped down by US President Barack Obama,” the report said.

Commenting on the incident Monday, Kammenos said the American president had allegedly told Tsipras: “this is something you ought to tell your friend Putin.”

The two sides have “an excellent relationship” nevertheless, said Kammenos, who is also Tsipras’s coalition partner.