Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday signed a bilateral security defense cooperation agreement, on the sidelines of the European Council in Brussels.
According to the government in Athens, the agreement opens up the way for Greece’s active participation in efforts to rebuild Ukraine, particularly in Odessa, the Black Sea city with strong cultural and historic ties to Greece, which Mitsotakis vowed to help revive during a visit last March.
“My presence here reflects the respect of the entire free world for your people and underlines Greece’s commitment to remain by your side,” Mitsotakis told Zelensky in his first visit to the country since Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Ukraine’s Odessa, and its historic links to Greece
The Filiki Eteria Museum in Odessa is a beacon of Hellenism, housed as it is in the very place where the Greek War of Independence was conceived and planned.
The former Kresnij Pereulok Street home of Greek businessman and national benefactor Grigorios Maraslis (1831-1907), the mayor of Odessa between 1878 and 1895, was where the secret society — much like the Sons of Liberty in the American colonies– hatched the plans that would come to fruition in the Revolution.
It was in this home that the founders of Filiki Eteria (Φιλική Εταιρία), or the Society of Friends —Emmanuil Xanthos, Athanasios Tsakalov and Nikolaos Skoufas — vowed to revolt against the Ottomans who had ruled Greece for almost 400 years.
Greece is also linked to Odessa via the Opera House, which had been built when the city’s mayor was Maraslis.
In a recent visit to Odessa, the then-Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias vowed to coordinate efforts to make the historic center of Odessa a cultural monument protected by UNESCO, a World Heritage monument, creating in this way a cultural shield that will protect this historic center from the repercussions of the war.
Greece assists in Ukraine’s defense needs
“Greece is ready to continue meeting Ukraine’s most urgent defense needs. It will also provide additional resources to accelerate F-16 training for our pilots and technicians,” Zelensky said on X.
According to the Athens-Macedonia News Agency, Greek government sources say Greece supports and will continue to support Ukraine, to the extent possible and provided that this does not compromise domestic defense capability. This support is already provided for in commitments made by Greece within the EU and NATO.
The agreement signed by Mitsotakis and Zelensky is intended to complement other deals sealed between Ukraine and its allies as it continues its defense against Russia’s invasion, and paves the way for Greece’s active involvement in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, the statement said.
The deal envisages cooperation and joint ventures in a series of sectors, such as the economy, reforms, energy, civil protection, the reconstruction and recovery of Ukraine, cultural cooperation and the protection of cultural heritage.
It also foresees cooperation in the production and transfer of green energy, and in maritime transport and logistics.
Related: Greece Hails Inclusion of Odessa, Ukraine in World Heritage List
