The Greek government on Wednesday warned farmers against escalating a roadblock protest to demand funds delayed by the investigation into an EU subsidies scandal.

"Extreme actions, prolonged closures of national roads, closures of customs offices, closures of airports—these are actions that do not aid their cause. They cause problems for other social groups," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in televised remarks to the cabinet.

Thousands of farmers this week blocked the Athens-Thessaloniki highway with their tractors, and on Wednesday threatened to close the border crossing with Bulgaria.

The government has tried to keep the highways open with riot police, but the farmers on Wednesday got within 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) of the border before being halted by police.

Long rows of

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