‘Greece falling out of West’s orbit into Russia’s would be disastrous’
THE Greek financial emergency highlights how important it is that the strategically-placed country continues to be a fully-committed member of Nato, according to international defence experts.
Tim Ripley, a defence and security analyst from Jane’s Defence Weekly, said: “Greece’s position in the eastern Mediterranean and in the southern Balkans make it a vital member of Nato and the EU for many reasons. If Greece slips out of the western orbit it could fall under the influence of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. That would be disastrous.
“It would also isolate Turkey from Nato, just as the US and its allies are trying to encourage Turkey to become more assertive in the war against Islamic State,” he said.
“The Americans have important naval and air bases in Greece which are used to monitor the war in Syria, and track Islamic Jihadis in North Africa and these bases are also vital for the new US strategy of containing Russia in the Black Sea region.”
The doomsday scenario of a Greek exit both from the EU and Nato remains unlikely, but the country’s No vote in Sunday’s referendum, and its left-wing government, emphasises the geostrategic importance of the country, on the alliance’s southern flank.
James Stavridis, a retired US four-star admiral who was Nato’s supreme commander in Europe from 2009 to 2013, said: “A Greek default and crash out of the Eurozone will almost certainly continue the downward spiral of the Greek economy and this will have knock-on security effects on how much the Greeks are willing or able to participate in Nato operations, EU missions, humanitarian projects, refugee rescues, and many other security-oriented efforts.”
He added: “It is worth remembering the significant and important geographic position of Greece on the maritime flank of Nato during a time of great tension in the eastern Mediterranean.
“If Greece does not have the EU and Nato ‘at its back’ it will be far less secure in how it approaches Turkey, an old enemy and the source of much conspiracy.
“That is fundamentally destabilising.”
Nato’s secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg was quick to allay fears on Thursday last week, ahead of the Greek referendum.
“Greece is a strong and engaged ally in our alliance. I am sure that Greece will continue to be so,” he said in Bucharest.
“The Greeks have underlined several times that they stand by their commitments within Nato.”
Greece, along with Italy, is on the maritime frontline of the massive immigration crisis in the Mediterranean.
UNHCR, the UN’S refugee agency, has said 137,000 refugees and migrants have arrived across the Mediterranean into Greece, Italy, Spain and Malta so far this year.