Greece's top diplomat calls war in Gaza a 'nightmare'

TANZANIA – The satellite is facing the astir turbulent times since World War II, Greece’s apical diplomat says, pointing to a crossroads successful democracy and saying Europe is facing a “political individuality crisis.”

In a wide-ranging interrogation with The Associated Press, Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis weighed successful connected 2 of the globe's large conflicts, saying the “nightmare” and escalating death toll successful Gaza indispensable extremity and Greece stands by Ukraine.

He besides noted that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs are not “good news.”

Here are immoderate takeaways from Monday's interview:

A situation successful ideology tied to inequality

Gerapetritis, whose state holds the rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council this month, said inequalities betwixt nations and people are challenging “the essence of ideology and the regularisation of law.” As a result, “we person turned into an epoch wherever populism and demagogues are fundamentally ruling the state,” helium said.

He said planetary turmoil is besides the effect of exertion and the world's mobility, which mean each situation — from pandemics to clime and migration — touches everyone. The upheaval besides follows a situation successful wide planetary practice and belief successful planetary organizations, which person failed to code challenges successful caller years.

Nonetheless, Gerapetritis said, Greece believes “democracy has a self-corrective mechanism” and what’s needed astatine this challenging clip is beardown enactment successful large nations and planetary organizations “to marque radical judge successful the noble origin of being unneurotic successful bid and prosperity.”

Europe is seeking resilience amid the warfare successful Ukraine

The Greek overseas curate said the European Union’s request that decisions beryllium adopted unanimously by its 27 members — giving a azygous federation veto power — has go an obstacle.

On the different hand, helium said, the veto reflects nationalist interests that should beryllium astatine the halfway of European politics.

At the moment, Gerapetritis said Europe is successful a “political individuality crisis.”

“It seems that connected occasions, we hide what are the indispensable elements that brought america unneurotic arsenic Europeans, and we bash endure from immoderate divergences and conflict,” helium said. “And present we’re suffering the post-shock syndrome aft the warfare successful Ukraine. So I deliberation Europe needs again to find its resilience and identity.”

Greece stands by Ukraine due to the fact that it supports the regularisation of instrumentality and its sovereignty and territorial integrity, helium said.

As for EU and U.S. sanctions against Russia implicit its penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, Gerapetritis said they person been lone partially palmy due to the fact that Moscow has found ways to circumvent their impact. The economical penalties person not go “a turning constituent for peace,” helium said.

Greece has bully relations with some Israel and the Palestinians

Gerapetritis said his state supports a two-state solution, has discussed it and Gaza's reconstruction extensively with Israel and the Palestinians, and sees itself arsenic an “honest broker.”

“We would similar to beryllium actively involved, but to beryllium wholly honest, it’s not a substance of who mediates, it’s a substance of stopping the nightmare,” helium said.

Hamas’ sidesplitting of 1,200 radical and taking of hostages from Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, was perfectly inhumane, helium said. Also, “I cannot truly tolerate what is happening present successful the Middle East,” helium said, pointing to the more than 53,000 Palestinians killed successful Gaza, mostly women and children, according to its wellness ministry, which doesn’t differentiate betwixt civilians and combatants successful its count.

Gerapetritis, who volition preside astatine a Security Council gathering Thursday connected protecting civilians successful conflict, called for monolithic humanitarian assistance for Gaza and a speedy ceasefire.

The first fewer assistance trucks entered Gaza this week pursuing astir 3 months of an Israeli blockade of food, medicine and different supplies. Israel says a new organisation system volition motorboat to forestall Hamas from accessing aid, which Israel says the militant radical uses to bolster its regularisation successful Gaza.

Looking for compromise connected U.S. tariffs

Gerapetritis said U.S.-Greek ties are growing, citing investments by Amazon, Google, Pfizer and different companies, including successful the vigor field.

Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration haven’t had a large power successful the country, helium said, “because we are not overexposed to that benignant of bilateral trade.”

But Greece is successful favour of escaped trade, helium said, and portion “we bash not see that tariffs are bully quality … we bash judge that determination indispensable beryllium a modus vivendi,” a Latin operation that successful planetary relations often means a compromise betwixt parties.

Trump imposed a 20% levy connected goods from the EU amid a bid of specified moves against trading partners but aboriginal paused them to springiness a accidental to negociate solutions to U.S. commercialized concerns. Countries taxable to the intermission volition look Trump’s 10% baseline tariff.

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