Greek President Urges Russia, US to Help Stop Bloodshed in Syria

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos called on Russia and the United States on Monday to do their utmost to stop the conflict in Syria.

ATHENS (Sputnik) – Greece has become a gateway for Syrian refugees fleeing violence in the war-torn country. A record number of refugees have made their way to Greece across the Mediterranean since the start of 2015 in an attempt to reach safety in Europe.

"There is no other reason for this [crisis] other than the war in Syria and the Middle East. There can be no excuse for the international community – especially world powers like the US and Russia – not to exhaust all means allowed by international laws in order to restore peace in the region," Pavlopoulos said at a meeting with volunteers from the US-based Hellenic Relief Foundation.

Greece got caught in the middle of the US-Russian standoff over Syria recently when Washington asked Athens to close Greek air space to Russian humanitarian flights bound for Syria.

The United States accuses Russia of escalating tensions in the region where a US-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes against Islamist insurgents. Washington has also vowed to lend its air power to what it calls the moderate Syrian opposition, which is fighting against the Syrian government.