Greece steps off the sidelines to support Ukraine but faces balancing act with an unconvinced public

The Greek response to Russia’s war is unprecedented from a foreign policy perspective, yet the country’s political opposition and many of its citizens are against Athens getting too involved, writes Moira Lavelle

Ukrainians and supporters gather during a demonstration in front of the Greek parliament in Athens against the Russian invasion of Ukraine (AFP via Getty)

When Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a speech via teleconference to Greece’s parliament last week, in which he made allusions to the political, cultural and religious ties between the two countries, it was greeted with hearty applause.

But the mood changed after Mr Zelensky gave the floor – virtually speaking – to two Ukrainian fighters with Greek roots.

When one of the soldiers mentioned that he was a member of the Azov battalion, a far-right militia with neo-Nazi roots, three members of Greece’s opposition party stood up and walked out. For days, the Greek media covered the incident with varying degrees of outrage, regret, condemnation, and understanding.