US Ambassador: Alert for Russian attempt to influence Greek elections

The US diplomat said we have seen evidence of "this kind of manipulation of information," citing specific efforts by Moscow to influence the Church and at the same time undermine the ecumenical Patriarchate.

Last summer, Athens expelled two Russians on the grounds that they were trying to undermine the Prespa agreement, also using ecclesiastical factors. At the same time, the Patriarchate of Moscow is in open conflict with the Phanar for its decision to give autonomy to the Church of Ukraine.

In his statements to ANT1, Mr Pyatt did not seem to say that there is tangible and unambiguous evidence of Russian interventions in the pre-election environment. However, he warned that the Greek custodians of democracy, from the state to the press, must be prepared and react accordingly.

The statements of the American ambassador were made at the #DisinfoWeek event in Athens, part of the US anti-disinformation campaign. On Friday, at the Delphi Forum, Mr Paiat said he has devoted a significant portion of his mandate to efforts to address the "malicious" Russian influence, especially in Thessaloniki and northern Greece.