Gazprom, Russia's biggest gas company, is also interested in the deposits beneath the Ionian sea, while the Greek government is also open to having Russia take part in joint ventures (with a golden share for Athens) in the privatization of some infrastructures projects. The port of Thessaloniki, a privileged access to the Mediterranean, is very likely to be on Putin's list. No loans have been asked for ("We're not beggars," clarified Tsipras), as Putin has officially confirmed that no financial requests were brought forward. What has been granted is the lifting of countersanctions Russia imposed on Europe in response to those that were imposed on Russia (Cyprus and Hungary are included in the list of beneficiaries).

The day Tsipras met the Russian president in Moscow, The New York Times ran a front page headline reading "Waving Cash, Putin Sows E.U. Divisions in an Effort to Break Sanctions," effectively blaming Russia for destabilizing diplomatic relations within Europe, a laughable claim given the American efforts to hijack the Minsk II negotiations that are vital to the stability of both Russia and Europe.

The significance of Tsipras' visit to the Kremlin lies in fact not in its supposedly provocative nature, but on the contrary in its pragmatic attempt to re-establish diplomatic relations with Russia (a vital economic asset to the whole of Europe). It is worth noting that Greece's willingness to deal with "the devil" is not an exclusive prerogative of the current, left-wing government. Former center-right Greek premier Kostas Karamanlis had previously attempted to establish economic and diplomatic relations with Russia but eventually desisted under international and internal pressures.

The fiscal stranglehold the Troika has imposed on Athens is loose enough for Greece to survive but tight enough so that the southern European nation cannot move. If anything, Tsipras' recent move proves that the current Greek government is still determined to not blindly follow the financial orthodoxy of the Troika as it actively looks for alternative solutions to exit the devastating economic crisis while remaining within the eurozone. Theirs is therefore a willingness "to make compromises," as Greece Finance Minister Yannis Varoufakis declared, but "not to be compromised."

The writer is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.ccgp-fushun.com/opinion/giovannivimercati.htm

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