🇬🇷Week of October 12

US President Donald Trump suspended the application of new sanctions against Russia. Moscow greeted the move as a "historic moment," with celebrations in the Russian capital over what was described as a gift to President Vladimir Putin.123

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Trump that with a "blackout of American sanctions" Putin will continue the war indefinitely. The suspension was also framed as a US betrayal of Ukraine, with coverage asking whether the rupture between Washington and Kyiv could now be permanent.456

The frozen package was the latest round of sanctions against Russia, and its suspension carries implications for the energy sector.7

Attributed claim: Left-leaning LiFO cast the move as Trump "freezing" a series of sanctions and "betraying Ukraine," while centre-right Skai.gr led instead on Zelensky's warning that Putin will prolong the war; centre outlet in.gr reported Moscow's celebrations over the suspension itself.548

Greece is preparing a new protection framework for holders of bad loans that includes a debt haircut of up to 200,000 euros and a cap on interest charges. The plan also sets strict limits on loan servicers and changes the rules for confiscations and property auctions.123

The recalculation of inflated debts is presented as the mechanism that would slow foreclosures, with the interest cap applying to the amounts owed. Consumer loans face a separate ceiling, and the framework identifies which borrowers are left outside financing.145

The measures are described as a brake on foreclosures and a rewrite of how swollen arrears are calculated, rather than a blanket cancellation of debt. The new rules cover the treatment of collateral seizures alongside the auction process.15

Wall Street Journal journalists were in Athens during the summer while researching the story that exposed Kimberly Gilfoil, and the paper's contacts with government officials in the Greek capital are the focus of the coverage. The reports describe the sourcing behind the investigation, with one account referring to a 'deep throat' figure behind the disclosures.12

The Gilfoil case is being framed as raising hard questions about American strategy in Greece, with coverage examining what the episode means for the US approach to the country.3

Centre-left Protagon.gr approached the story from a gender angle, asking how the case would have been treated if Kimberly Gilfoil were a man. Centre-right Kathimerini ran the affair under the heading 'slow-burning bomb', signalling a longer-running fallout.45

New testimonies from students widened the case: pupils said the gym teacher asked girls to give him massages. The mother of a 13-year-old said "mouths have opened" and referred to years of a "cologne" issue, describing the teacher's conduct toward her daughter.123

The gym teacher was released with restrictive conditions, while the suspension from his teaching post remained in force.4

Student protests against Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama continued in Tirana and in many other cities, with a new rally called for the day and clashes escalating. Demonstrators have demanded Rama's resignation.123

Protesters threw stones at the parliament building and at ministries and set fire to rubbish bins, in unrest that spread beyond the capital to other cities. Rama is described as under pressure as the demonstrations continue.456

Greek outlets across the political spectrum covered the unrest, with left-leaning I Efimerida ton Syntakton framing the events as an "example" from Albania and centre-right Kathimerini describing "chaos in Tirana."76