Apostolakis to SKAI: There is a risk of Russia using nuclear weapons – Putin-Erdogan commonalities

The assessment that Russia will not retreat in the war in Ukraine was expressed by the honorary head of GEETHA and former Minister of Defense, Evangelos Apostolakis, speaking to SKAI and the show “Today”.

He said that in order to make a clear prediction about the development of the situation, we need to know what Putin’s objective goals were. That is, if he wanted to make an operation and create pressure to change the government, calculating that he would step down very soon.

“It’s hard to think that Putin made such a big mistake. He was somehow waiting for the sanctions that were imposed on him. He does not enter a war if you do not know how to end it. Things are difficult. “If it continues like this, the war will last a long time,” said Mr. Apostolakis.

He noted that the Russian president does not want to use too much military force and tries to avoid civilian casualties, adding that in the first phase with operations as they are, “we can not say that he has no means to support them financially. However, with the financial measures and the restrictions, there will be a problem “.

Asked if there was a case for the war to escalate, the former defense minister replied that “participation and support in Ukraine has begun to create contradictions that, while they may start with verbal confrontations, may intensify. I do not believe that with today’s data we will find ourselves in such a situation. “On the other hand, the operation is not based on logical actions”, he noted.

In addition, Mr. Apostolakis sounded the alarm bell for Putin’s threats to activate nuclear weapons, emphasizing that “when something is used as a threat, no matter how superficially it is used, we must take it into account. There is a danger. “When a man is found who has power trapped and has no way out, we do not know where he can go.”

Regarding the shipment of defense equipment to Ukraine, he pointed out that weapons do not help anything and that it is a move that adds fuel to the fire. “The reactions of the international community and especially of the Western world should be vertical, immediate and coordinated. In this context, Ukraine must be helped to cope with its current situation. What do we want? Should the war continue by adding fuel to the fire or should we find ways to curb it and de-escalate it? War does not benefit anyone. Humanitarian aid had to be sent. “Weapons do not help anything and I consider it a move that adds a little oil to the fire,” he stressed.

Asked if Europe would be next to Greece in case of an attack by another country, he estimated that the situation is such that we saw the reflexes of Europe being activated. “We do not know what will happen but we hope that if necessary it will happen. A new period has begun. “Europe seems to be waking up from its slumber.”

He added that in the case of Ukraine, Europe also has a responsibility, as there was time to find solutions. “Even dealing with the previous situation with the annexation of Crimea and the attempt to integrate Russia into the architecture of European security could have been closed and we should not face it,” he said.

Commenting on Turkey’s stance, he noted that Turkey’s dependence on Russia is too great, given that its trade is huge.

Regarding the provocative actions against Greece, Mr. Apostolakis stressed that “Turkey shows that it has no consciousness or image of who the world is and how things are evolving. But Turkey has the big picture. It simply seizes every opportunity given to it to show its revisionism as a philosophy and to constantly show us what it wants from the region. “

In fact, he likened Erdogan to Putin, noting that he invokes the same logic that militarized islands threaten Turkey’s security, feels that the threat is near them, and invokes the Treaty of Lausanne and Montreux.

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