Tsipras plays the Russian card – www.dw.de

 The EU Commission in Brussels can not comment on state visits by heads of government of its member states, even if they are as unwelcome as the journey of Alexis Tsipras to Moscow. So focused on the day before everything on the topic of peaches: Greece Should it be possible to circumvent the trade embargo on agricultural products, which the Russian government had imposed last year in retaliation against the EU sanctions – which would tell the Commission that? Since then, namely sue not only Scottish salmon farmers and Polish apple growers, but also Greek peach farmers on lack of paragraphs. Up to 60 percent of their crops are normally sold to Russia exported a total of Greece to the embargo on trade in agricultural products 180 million euros for the Russian market, almost a quarter of its production. “We expect that all Member States are treated equally,” a spokesman authorities explained that trade policy is an exclusive competence of the EU.

  fear of extortion

 Another warning to Athens, not out of line when it comes to dealing with Russia. It is of course not the peaches, but more: The Russian newspaper “Kommersant” said Tsipras before the visit, it should be talked about discounts on the price of gas and loans that could be given but only in return for investments. What Greek state-owned enterprises as Moscow was interested remains open. Moscow should be interested in the port of Thessaloniki, previous negotiations about a Russian participation in the gas utility Depa were, however, failed. Instead, Greece plans to offer an extension of the planned Turkish Stream pipeline over its own territory, so that from there south-eastern Europe could be supplied. For the Russian Gazprom Group a tempting offer, which he might not have to offer to lower than the inflated price of gas for Greece on common EU level.

Angela Merkel met with the end of March Tsipras

Neither fruit nor the gas issue would be appropriate to raise the EU from its hinges in principle. However, Alexis Tsipras had already been done in the past week, some previous work to demonstrate the potential threat of his visit to Moscow: Greece could be a link between Russia and the West, the EU’s sanctions led to nothing. “Former Greek governments have not done their best to avoid because of the Ukraine crisis, the sanctions,” he told the Russian news agency Tass. A clear sign that he could handle this differently when in June at the EU summit is pending renewal of such penalties. And finally: The new European security architecture must include with Russia. European Parliament President Martin Schulz warned then in the “Hannover Zeitung”, Tsipras should not alienate it was not acceptable when the single European stance on the Russian policy put in return for Russian help in jeopardy its EU partners. And the chairman of the Christian Democrats in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, said: “Prime Minister Tsipras operates with his visit to Moscow in difficult times a risky game The other EU countries do not play out of it.”

  Conflicting messages from Athens

 Finance Yanis Varoufakis, however, had objected to the beginning of the week on suspicion of Athens wanted in Moscow a business thread according to the motto billion loan to cleavage of the EU in the Russia sanctions. Greece not looking for financial assistance outside the EU, assured Varoufakis, something is governed within the European family. But you care like any other country, bilateral relations, he said, a business newspaper in Athens. Foreign policy expert Judy Dempsey of Carnegie Foundation doubts that such assurances can be trusted: Finally, Moscow had also borrowed Cyprus EUR 2.5 billion when the country was faced with bankruptcy in 2011. Tsipras attempt here a very crude tactics, namely the EU off against Russia. And President Putin will enter the game and try the “soft southeastern flank of the European Union” extract and exploit for his own purposes.

Putin is trying to use cracks in the EU itself

Most of all, she sees the visit of Alexis Tsipras in Moscow, so soon after his trip to Berlin, as an insult to the Chancellor: “Merkel has rolled out the red carpet for him and paid him five hours of their time.” You have shown great understanding of the Greek problems, but Athens flirting with Putin would now not be without consequences.

  Athens threatens the EU

 The strategy of the Greek government in recent weeks when Dempsey increasingly “sad”: They used the two existential threats to Europe through Russia and the IS-extremism to enforce its European partners under pressure and their demands. The right-wing populist defense minister Kammenos now threatened again in an interview with the British newspaper “The Times” if the EU did not stop interfering in internal affairs Greek, Greece will no longer play its role as a bulwark against the influx of IS-fighters. This is about more than the stability of the euro. In March he had threatened to Athens could allow entry uncontrolled crowds of refugees and jihadists to Europe.

Judy Dempsey, Carnegie Foundation

“Tsipras burn all bridges behind him from” Judy Dempsey says. Greece must finally understand what the EU means for the country, and how important it was to membership in recent decades. In addition, there were quite understand that mistakes had been made in the implementation of the latest tools from the EU side. However, the Greek government must finally put a credible reform plan on the table, the former acting was not serious and unprofessional. Also CSU European politicians Weber says: “In continuing the aid program for Greece only include deeds, and remains, the Greek government still guilty.” Instead, we observe in Brussels nervous as Alexis Tsipras pulls the geopolitical map, while the future of his country and the unity of the European Union is at stake.