ΕΑΝ ΠΡΟΤΙΜΑΤΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΠΑΤΗΣΤΕ ΤΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΚΑΤΩ ΜΕΡΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΘΟΝΗΣ
Greek Shipowners and particularly Prokopiou of Dynagas force the weak hand of Mitsotakis’ foreign policy and demand that it veto the 21st sanctions package against Russia on sales of natural gas through third countries.
By Helleniscope’s Editorial Team
At Helleniscope, we have argued for years that Greece should establish a permanent Maritime Strategic Advisory Council, bringing together the Greek shipowners’ associations of Piraeus, London, and New York, with an institutional presence inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Not because shipowners should dictate policy.
But because they understand the world as it is.
For centuries—indeed, one could argue for millennia—Greek shipping has been one of the nation’s greatest strategic assets. Empires have risen and fallen, borders have changed, governments have come and gone, yet Greek shipowners have consistently adapted, prospered, and kept Greece at the center of global maritime commerce.
The latest dispute over the EU’s proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia proves why their voice belongs at the policymaking table.
The disagreement is not about sanctions themselves. Greece has supported every major EU sanctions package since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The controversy concerns one provision: banning EU-owned vessels from transporting Russian LNG to third countries.
Athens argues that such a ban would not stop Russian LNG exports—it would simply hand the business to non-European competitors. Europe would weaken one of its few globally dominant industries while others filled the gap.
That is not an argument for Russia.
It is an argument against strategic self-inflicted damage.
According to the Financial Times, Greek diplomats raised particular concerns about the impact on George Prokopiou’s Dynagas, one of the world’s leading operators of Arc7 Arctic LNG carriers. Because these highly specialized vessels have few commercial alternatives outside Russia’s Arctic LNG trade, diplomats reportedly argued that the proposed sanctions could severely damage the company.
Predictably, some have portrayed this as protecting a single shipowner.
That misses the point.
Dynagas is simply the clearest example of a much broader issue: whether Europe fully understands the strategic value of maritime logistics. Shipping markets do not disappear because Europe exits them. Cargoes still move—they are simply carried by someone else.
The real question is not whether Russian LNG will be transported.
The real question is who will transport it.
This is why Greek shipowners deserve a permanent advisory role in foreign policy. No ministry has a better understanding of global trade routes, energy flows, freight markets, and the unintended consequences of sanctions than the people who operate the world’s largest commercial fleet.
Governments think in election cycles.
Shipping thinks in decades.
Europe often speaks of “strategic autonomy” while risking one of the few sectors where it already enjoys genuine global leadership.
Shipping is not merely an industry.
It is economic statecraft.
It is energy security.
It is diplomacy.
For Greece, it is national power.
Athens should stop consulting its maritime community only when crises emerge. It should bring it permanently into the room.
Not because Greek shipowners are always right.
But because history suggests they usually see the next horizon before everyone else.
July 17, 2026, www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
We can only hope. Instead we Greeks will do the insane thing, which is probably attack Turkey from the West while Israel attacks it from the South.
Greece’s disputes with Turkey have nothing to do with Turkish territory. It’s not like the period of the Balkan wars when there were large numbers of Greeks living in the Ottoman Empire.
All Greek leaders know they have to live with Turkey and that Turkey is a much bigger military power than Greece.
Any Greek Turkish war (with or without Israel) will occur in the Aegean over the twelve nautical miles, in Cyprus, or if Turkey invades the Greek islands which they have threatened to do.
Very unlikely Greece attacks Turkish soil even with prodding from Israel. There is no military objective in actually attacking Turkey. Many of the agreements with Israel were made long before the genocide in Gaza began in 2023. So circumstances have changed.
On the other hand, as noted above Turkey has threatened to invade the Greek islands. Greece is looking to avoid war with Turkey. Greece is not going to war unless it’s for defensive purposes.
Even Greece’s corrupt leaders are not stupid enough to start a war on behalf of Israel.
HEADLINE : Greece Leads Pushback Against EU’s and Self-defeating Russia Sanctions: “Against Trade in Russian LNG”
Greece has taken a firm stand in the European Union by blocking parts of the proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia, a move intended to protect its vital shipping sector and thousands of jobs.
Although there was instant outrage against Greece, the Mediterranean country is not alone in this stance, as more EU countries are showing concern, worried that sanctions are harming European economies more than Russia and that long-term sanctions may look strong symbolically but are economically harmful, raising energy prices, reducing industrial competitiveness, and pushing important sectors toward non-Western competitors, particularly China.
THE GREEK RESISTANCE IS, THE ALLEGED CRIMINAL USE OF ALL ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AND TARIFFS AS EXTORTION, COERCION, BLACKMAIL, AND OBSTRUCTION OF INTERSTATE AND INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE WHICH HARMS CIVILIAN POPULATIONS OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD BY THE RACKETEERING CARTEL OF EU, US AND ISRAEL … ..
A. Alleged Bipartisan “Sledgehammer” Sanctions Used as Instruments of Extortion and Coercion which allege that bipartisan sanctions legislation — championed by figures such as Senator Lindsey Graham and supported by both Republican and Democratic leadership — has evolved into a “sledgehammer” economic weapon used not for legitimate trade enforcement, but for political extortion and coercion. It is allege that these sanctions are crafted to punish foreign governments that refuse to align with U.S. and EU parliamentary geopolitical objectives, rather than to enforce neutral trade rules or protect American and European workers.
It is alleged that sanctions and tariffs are used as economic blackmail, where access to U.S. markets, banking systems, and financial infrastructure is conditioned on political obedience. They allege that this pattern resembles racketeering, because economic harm is threatened unless foreign governments comply with U.S. demands unrelated to trade.
Greek diplomats have made it clear that such a measure would devastate the company, owned by billionaire shipping magnate George Prokopiou and other companies of Greece!
These same economic sanctions and tariffs policies are being imposed on over !/3rd the population of the world by U.S and EU cartel ..which are designed to stave the people of the countries of the world to death, to cooperate with gangsters in the employ of the U.S and EU governments, with no interest in the consequences to the civilian populations of ther world .. This highligted by; UN probe ..which proclaimes.. US economic Sanctions and blockades killing Children of Cuba …!
Which begs the issue , why does Greek Media conceal these crimes which target civilian population and ability of Greece to support the welfare of it citizens? Helleniscope .. why don’t you answer that question!
Nations aiding US to become ‘legitimate targets’ – Tehran
Iran has warned countries in the region and beyond against providing support for US aggression.
look out Greece and Cyprus ..these guys mean business , and are destroying US bases thruout the MiddlE East! Greece and Cyprus well in Range! AS a matter of fact .. Tehran claimes Ukraine attacke Iran cargo ship in Caspian sea.. and basically said they are in range , and could be target . USand EU ordering Economic sanctions that destroy Tanker business of Greece, EU and US ordernig Greece to give up defense missiles to Ukraine and Saudi Arabia .and now ..making Greece and Cyprus legitimate targets that destroy peace and security of the people ! Hey Helleniscope ..who do you blame for this . Bartholomew .. yea that it ..all you ever do is blame Bartholomew.. not your favorite policitical Party !