For centuries, Greece and Russia have had friendly relations. That changed dramatically in February 2022, when Russian forces entered Ukraine.
Russia never attacked or threatened Greece, but after Russia intervened militarily in Ukraine - a non-NATO country to which Greece owes no obligation of mutual defence - Greece joined with NATO countries in waging and escalating a dangerous proxy war against Russia.
For a small country, Greece has played an out-sized role in the NATO proxy war. It has provided a broad array of weapons to Ukraine. It has sanctioned Russia economically. Through the Greek port of Alexandroupoli, Greece has facilitated massively the transfer of NATO’s heavy weaponry to Ukraine. Finally, with the knowledge of Greece’s government, Greek mercenaries are fighting on the side of Ukraine. The NY Times recently reported that a Greek mercenary is implicated in war crimes against surrendering Russian soldiers.
Polls show that most Greeks do not support their government’s slavishly pro-NATO and anti-Russia policies, but that has not deterred Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a former banker at Chase Bank in London, from antagonizing Russia.
On July 23, 2024, Dimitri Lascaris spoke to Moscow-based, Greek journalist Thanassi Avgerinos about the large chasm between Greek public opinion and the Mitsotakis government’s full-throated support for NATO’s proxy war on Russia.