ATHENS: Greece on Thursday slammed Russia’s attack on Ukraine as “revisionist” as it scrambled to bolster consular support for its ethnic community of over 100,000 people in the country.
“Greece unequivocally condemns revisionist acts,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the start of an emergency meeting with military and energy staff.
“We strongly condemn the Russian aggression against an independent country,” Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said as she hosted visiting Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog.
“Europe needs to stay united,” she said.
Deputy foreign minister Andreas Katsaniotis earlier told Parapolitika radio that Athens had beefed up its consular presence mainly in Mariupol, the heart of the community that dates to the 18th century.
“While other countries withdrew their diplomats, we increased our personnel,” he said.
Greek officials in Kyiv, Mariupol and Odessa “are in constant contact with Greek citizens and (ethnic Greeks) to provide any support possible,” Katsaniotis said.
As tensions over an invasion ran high earlier this month, a Greek expatriate died in a clash in eastern Ukraine which Athens blamed on Ukrainian soldiers.
Two other ethnic Greeks were injured, the Greek foreign ministry said.