Govt sources say Moscow willing to forward 'advance' from future pipeline's profits

Government sources on Wednesday announced that Russia was willing to "pre-pay" profits from a natural gas pipeline on the drawing board and projected to operate in 2019.

The announcement came in the wake of Greek PM Alexis Tsipras' meeting the same day at the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A statement attributed to the latter generated the news, with Putin reportedly saying the prospect of a pre-payment was being "explored", with the repayment coming with the operation of the pipeline.

The same sources said Moscow was considering a way to allow Greek farm exports into the Russian market through the creation of joint Greek-Russian companies. That prospect would overcome Moscow's retaliation for the EU's sanctions on the Russian government for its perceived mischief in eastern Ukraine.

Icons returned

Finally, the Russian president reportedly presented Tsipras with two religious icons stolen from a monastery near the southern town of Sparta during WWII by a German officer.

The German officer in question was none other than Wehrmacht Gen. Friedrich-Wilhelm Müller, the commander who ordered the massacre of civilians in Viannos, Crete, in retaliation for successful guerrilla attacks against occupying Axis forces in September 1943.

No reparations were ever paid for those atrocities against civilians.

Müller was later captured by the Red Army, transferred to Greek authorities and executed in Athens by firing squad on May, 20, 1947 ? the anniversary of the German airborne invasion of Crete. He was executed in the company of former Nazi Gen. Bruno Bräuer, Müller's predecessor as commander of Crete.

The Russian government reportedly purchased the icons from Müller's relatives with the purpose of returning...