Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in attending the 4th Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Odessa at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, unequivocally underlined Greece’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people, who are once again enduring large-scale Russian attacks.
Mitsotakis condemned the assaults, stating:
“These attacks—and I believe this must be repeated at every opportunity—flagrantly violate International Humanitarian Law. We have made this clear from the beginning that you have the inherent right to defend yourselves against Russian aggression.”
He affirmed Greece’s comprehensive support: “Greece will continue to support Ukraine, as it did from the very start, diplomatically, politically, financially, militarily, and in humanitarian ways.”
Mitsotakis pledged to work towards an end to the conflict and added: “We will do whatever we can do to work in the direction of ending this catastrophe and unhappiness in your country.” He emphasized that any peace-keeping formula rests solely with Ukrainian decision-making and lauded Ukraine’s “truly sincere” intentions, contrasting them with those of Russia.
Mitsotakis hailed Odessa as a “city symbolizing the resistance of the Ukrainian people who fight for their liberty” and urged an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
He underscored the broader implications of the conflict, stating:
“This war does not relate solely to Russia and Ukraine. It relates to international order, which is based on rules, on not rewarding the aggressor through an acceptance of a settlement that fundamentally justifies these aggressive behaviors.”
Greece, he assured, “will continue to exert greater pressure on Russia, to support packages of further sanctions.”
Greece sees Odessa as key to the reconstruction of Ukraine
Beyond immediate conflict, the Greek Prime Minister envisioned Odessa as a cornerstone for future reconstruction and connectivity. He specifically proposed an “ambitious and comprehensive connectivity project,” linking Alexandroupolis, Varna, Constanza, and Odessa, and encompassing transportation, rail, electricity, and natural gas pipelines. Such a project, he noted, could be proposed for European Commission funding, providing a vital corridor for Ukrainian goods and demonstrating the profound impact of Ukraine’s EU accession.
In conclusion, Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s steadfast commitment to EU enlargement and European integration and addressed Western Balkan leaders present at the summit.
Mitsotakis on European defense
In responding to a question related to European defense cooperation, European Union funding for defense, and the participation of Ukraine and other third countries, the PM said:
“I believe there is broad understanding in Europe and certainly in the European Council that Russia’s invasion in Ukraine was a violent geopolitical awakening, a necessity so we could assume the control of our security and an urgent need to spend more for European defense collectively. I do not believe I am exaggerating when I say that before the war in Ukraine we were almost sleepwalking toward military insignificance, if you look at how much we spent collectively for defense.”
He added:
“We now have a new initiative on behalf of the European Union, the ReArm initiative, which substantially has two aspects. It provides us the opportunity to spend more at national level, activating the national escape clause, without this affecting the caps on increasing our expenditures. And, of course, there is also the SAFE mechanism, which provides loans for investments in European defense, yet also promotes cooperation and partnership with other countries, especially with countries that are candidates for accession to the European Union.”
Mitsotakis also said he sees Ukraine as a strong partner in terms of the building of the future European foundation of security and added it is no secret that Ukraine has developed massive capabilities through this very harsh and bloody war.
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