“I am not suggesting that we should go to war […]. I am just saying that Europe must show somehow that it cannot tolerate this behavior, that there are certain red lines. The frigates, sent by France and Italy to block 7, is a first step. We must wait and see what kind of deterrence this move will have,” he said.

Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi said on Thursday his company would not drill off Cyprus if it meant having to deal with warships.