Russian anger builds as Greece prepares a military deal with Ukraine
Al Jazeera
Greece’s concern for its own security has made it a supporter of Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion.
Athens, Greece – On March 6, Russia fired a missile into the Ukrainian port of Odesa that exploded about 400 metres (1,300ft) from where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was preparing to tour the city with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“As we were getting into our cars, we heard a large explosion,” Mitsotakis later told reporters. “We were all concerned, especially if you consider that we were in an open space with no cover. It was quite savage.”
Many Western leaders have visited Zelenskyy, but this was the only occasion when there was a plausible threat to their life and safety. Analysts in Athens do not believe it was an accident.
“It was a message to Greece, a message to the Russophilic portion of Greek society,” said Konstantinos Filis, a professor of international relations who directs the Institute of Global Affairs at the American College of Greece.
That Russophilic population is dropping dramatically.
