Russia is considering the possibility of directly delivering energy supplies to Greece to support its economy, Energy Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying yesterday by Russian news agencies. Russia "plans to support the renewal of the Greek economy by expanding its cooperation in the energy sector," Novak told journalists in Moscow, according to the Sputnik news agency. "We are studying the possibility of organizing direct deliveries of energy to the Greek government to begin in the near future," he said. Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would consider providing financial aid if Athens specifically requests it. Russia and Greece have been significantly boosting political and economic ties in recent months as both countries struggle with economic crises. The move has been viewed with apprehension in some European quarters, given the tensions between Russia and the West over the conflict in Ukraine. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras spoke over the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week to discuss the results of the Greek referendum. At the St. Petersburg economic forum in June, Tsipras met with Putin and called for the sanctions against Russia over Ukraine to end. The countries signed a deal to collaborate on the planned Turkish Stream pipeline as well, which will bring Russian natural gas to Europe via the Turkish-Greek border.
