Merchant shipping at the center of military and hybrid attacks

“Once again, merchant shipping, ships and, above all, our sailors are unfairly finding themselves at the center of military and hybrid attacks, as well as asymmetric threats, which directly endanger human life, environmental protection and the safety of international navigation,” Melina Travlou, president of the Union of Greek Shipowners pointed out in a statement.

“The targeting of merchant ships, and indeed Greek and, by extension, European-owned ships, which operate completely legally, serving the import trade and supply chain of the European Union, exceeds all limits of logic, law and political consistency. It constitutes a complete undermining of the European position itself,” Travlou noted and added that “merchant shipping is not a field of conflict. It cannot be used as a lever of pressure or turned into a target.”

“Seafarers are civilians. They are people who leave their families behind to keep global trade alive, energy sufficiency, food security and the functioning of our societies,” she said.

“The European Union must act immediately”

“As I stated at the United Nations Security Council in May 2025, shipping must remain outside the realm of geopolitical tensions and military confrontations.

The protection of seafarers and freedom of navigation is not an option, it is a fundamental European and international obligation. As Greek shipping, we have served and continue to serve peace, cooperation and stability throughout history.

In this context, we welcome the position of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant communications of the Minister with European Union authorities and Foreign Ministers of other European states.

The European Union must act immediately, in a coordinated and decisive manner. To protect its shipping, its people and the strategic role it plays for the well-being of Europe and its citizens. To make it clear that no attack on merchant ships is acceptable and no threat against seafarers can go unpunished.”

“Shipping unites the world and no geopolitical argument can justify its targeting,” the president of the Union of Greek Shipowners concluded in her statement.