While in Greece, Pompeo discussed Russia's 'malign actions' and their effect on the Orthodox Church

Pompeo said this during a press conference on the island of Crete, Voice of America reports.

“The Greek Prime Minister and I agreed to consider ways to work more closely to overcome the challenges posed by Russia through activities that have a detrimental effect, such as the spread of fake information about the pandemic and trying to seize the Orthodox Church,” Pompeo said.

The Secretary of State arrived in Greece on a two-day visit at a time of heightened tensions in the region over disputes over energy supplies. The American diplomat has stressed that Gazprom cannot dictate the rules of the energy market.

“We had a great conversation on energy issues yesterday. I reaffirmed U.S. support for Greece's ongoing efforts to diversify energy routes and supplies across the region. The free market should make decisions about energy supply, not Russia's Gazprom,” Pompeo said.