Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis’ intervention at the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on threats to international peace and security (New York,[...]

Thank you Mr. President and I would like to thank the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea for convening this important emergency meeting.

I would like to thank ASG Jenča for his insightful briefing and I welcome the participation of fellow Foreign Ministers and Deputy Foreign Ministers, as well of the EU High Representative and Vice-President of the European Commission Ms Kallas.

Dear colleagues,

As this Organization celebrates the 80th year since its establishment, international order, peace and security are gravely challenged around the globe. It is therefore our urgent and imperative duty to heighten our vigilance and intensify our efforts to meet and contain these challenges, protect international peace and security and avoid escalations. Only in this way we will be fulfilling the core task of the Security Council.

In the course of these last two weeks, NATO and EU's airspace has been violated three times, as Russian aerial means, entered, contrary to international law, the territory of Poland, Romania and Estonia. The latest incident involving the incursion of Estonian airspace by three armed Russian fighter jets cannot be viewed in isolation. Reckless acts of this kind are not new, but their successive recurrence indicates they are not mere coincidences. As the saying goes: Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three is a pattern.

Greece unequivocally condemns the violation of Estonia's and, for that matter, any Member State's, airspace. We stand in full solidarity with Estonia, a friendly country and an EU and NATO ally.

Any violation of state borders, be it air, sea or land borders, constitutes a clear and blatant breach of international law and the UN Charter and is unacceptable, particularly coming from a Permanent Member of the Security Council.

We call on Russia to cease these unlawful acts immediately and respect its obligations under international law.

Dear colleagues,

It is evident that this new escalation is a direct result of the Russia's war in Ukraine.

Greece has welcomed President Trump's initiative for meeting President Putin in Alaska in August, as well as any initiative that could result in the termination of the war. Nevertheless, these violations, as acts of aggression, contradict the spirit of the Anchorage meeting.

Lastly, dear colleagues,

We are now witnessing the destabilizing effects of the war and its wider implications for the security of Eastern Europe and of the wider region. This is why, once again we call on Russia to stop its armed aggression. A comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on the principles of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states must remain our foremost goal.

A peace safeguarded by credible and robust security guarantees, which will effectively deter any recurrence of armed aggression, that precludes further escalation and that is in line with International Law, the UN Charter, the General Assembly Resolutions and the Helsinki Final Act.

September 22, 2025