Speaking at the extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council (22/9), the Foreign Minister, George Gerapetritis, strongly condemned the breach of Estonia’s airspace of three Russian fighters, stressing that “the third time is a pattern” and not a coincidence. He expressed complete solidarity with Estonia and emphasized that every breach of borders is a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, especially when he comes from a permanent member of the Council.

Mr Gerapetritis called on Russia to stop the illegal actions immediately and to respect its obligations, while linked escalating to the war in Ukraine. He welcomed dialogue initiatives, such as the Trump-Putn meeting in Alaska, but noting that recent aggressive actions are contrary to this spirit.

Finally, he stressed that the priority remains the achievement of a comprehensive, fair and lasting peace in Ukraine, on the basis of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, with strong security guarantees to prevent new aggression and escalation.

The entire position of the Foreign Minister in the UN SA is as follows:

“Mr President, thank you. I would like to thank the permanent delegation of the Republic of Korea for convening this important extraordinary meeting.

I also thank the Assistant Secretary General Jenča for his detailed information and welcome the participation of fellow Ministers and Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, as well as the EU High Representative and Vice President of the European Commission, Ms. Kallas.

Dear colleagues,

As the UN celebrates its 80th anniversary of its establishment, international class, peace and security face serious challenges worldwide. It is therefore imperative to intensify our vigilance and efforts to tackle and halt these challenges, shielding international peace and security and avoiding escalation. Only in this way will we be able to meet the basic task of the Security Council.

In the last two weeks, the airspace of NATO and the European Union have been violated three times, as Russian air means entered the territory of Poland, Romania and Estonia, in violation of international law. The latest incident of a breach of Estonia’s airspace by three armed Russian fighter aircraft cannot be considered isolated. Such reckless actions are not unprecedented. However, their successive repetition shows that these are not mere coincidences. In the known saying: The first time is an accident. The second time is a coincidence. The third is a pattern.

Greece categorically condemns the breach of Estonia’s airspace and, in general, of any Member State. We express our full solidarity in Estonia, a friend and ally in the EU and NATO.

Any breach of state borders, whether it be aerial, maritime or land borders, constitutes a clear and blatant violation of international law and the map of the United Nations and is unacceptable, especially when it comes from a permanent member of the Security Council.

We call on Russia to immediately stop these illegal acts and to respect its obligations in accordance with international law.

Dear colleagues,

It is obvious that this new escalation is an immediate result of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Greece welcomed President Trump’s initiative to meet with President Putin in Alaska in August, as well as any initiative that could lead to the end of the war. However, these violations, as aggressive acts, contradict the spirit of Anchorage’s meeting.

In conclusion, dear colleagues,

We witness the destabilizing effects of the war and its wider consequences on the security of Eastern Europe and the wider region. For this reason, once again, we call on Russia to stop its armed aggression. The achievement of a comprehensive, just and enduring peace in Ukraine, based on the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the states, must remain our primary goal.

A peace guaranteed by credible and strong security guarantees, which will effectively prevent the repetition of any armed aggression, will exclude further escalation and in accordance with international law, the map of the United Nations, the resolutions of the General Assembly.

Thank you”