Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on October 29, 2026, called for a global maritime truce. He made the appeal during a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council held under Greece’s presidency, focused on emerging technologies and maritime security.
Mitsotakis stressed that commercial vessels must be able to navigate safely and freely even during armed conflicts. “Targeted attacks on civilian commercial shipping are completely unacceptable. It is yet another reminder of the urgent need for a global maritime truce,” he said. According to him, disruptions to freedom of navigation drive up shipping and insurance costs, create uncertainty in global markets, and ultimately increase prices for consumers.
The statement came against the backdrop of escalating attacks on commercial vessels in the western Black Sea. On October 28, the container ship Contship Jet (Liberian-flagged and managed by the Greek company Contships Management) was hit by three naval drones. The vessel was sailing from Haifa, Israel, to Constanța, Romania, and was located in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone, roughly 17–21 nautical miles offshore. All 18 crew members (14 Filipinos and 4 Ukrainians) were rescued, but the ship sank. It was one of a series of similar incidents near the coasts of Bulgaria and Romania in October.
Greece is particularly sensitive to maritime security issues, as it has the world’s largest commercial fleet. Mitsotakis also addressed the Turkey-Libya maritime memorandum, stating that no bilateral arrangement can override the international law of the sea, and emphasized: “We cannot allow our seas to become a jungle.”
Turkey has previously urged Russia and Ukraine to halt attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea and proposed mechanisms to ensure safe navigation. Responsibility for the latest strikes has not been officially established.
