Moscow ready to lend shoulder to Greece if gets request for assistance

Moscow is ready to lend its shoulder to Greece if the government in Athens makes a request for it, Valentina Matviyenko, the speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament told Rossiya’24 news channel on Thursday.

"Greece hasn’t made any requests for our assistance so far but if it does, we’ll scrutinize the formats or the framework of our own opportunities within which we could support or help Athens," she said.

Greece is a friendly nation for Russia, Matviyenko said, adding: "Religion isn’t the only factor we have in common."

"We have historical links, since it was Russia that assured the independence of Greece and the Greeks remember it," she said. "They have love and respect for Russia in their veins. We’re certainly prepared to lend our shoulder to them in the form that might be possible.".