A few days ago I was in Kyiv. During my third visit to Ukraine after the Russian invasion. I have already twice been to Odessa, the cradle of the Greek revolution. In Kyiv, near the railway station, we found ourselves in front of destroyed buildings that had been shot down by Iranian drones the day before. This image was not expected in the European capital in 2022. Even the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not pass without the special conditions prevailing in the country. The alarm was raised, and we went down to the shelter, where we continued the negotiations.

For the first time in the history of Greece, a memorandum of cooperation was signed in a shelter during an air raid. A little later, we experienced unprecedented moments when, walking down the street with my Ukrainian colleague, we came into contact with a society that is trying to maintain the elements of orderly life in the midst of war. The visit included a series of messages to several recipients.

Firstly. I represented the European Union at a time when other European officials were canceling their visits, giving practical support to Ukrainian society as it struggles to survive. Showing on the ground that we do not succumb to intimidation. Finally, emphasizing the values ​​that we represent as European societies: respect for international law, for the freedom of peoples to decide for themselves about the present and future of their countries. In our absolute and unshakable position to protect the inviolability of national borders, as they were formed through international agreements – treaties. Having received their own idea of ​​what is happening, and not as observers from the TV. Having an opinion, you turn to the Council with different weight.

Secondly. Ukraine has a sizable Greek community that is suffering. It is very important to declare the presence of the Hellenic Republic on earth. Express our practical interest in this community, our concern for its present and future. I met the rector of Mariupol University, a professor of Greek studies. Under completely different circumstances than the meeting we had just ten months ago in Mariupol. The city that no longer exists. I expressed the readiness of Greece to support the promotion of Greek culture and the study of the Greek language in order to save this unique cradle. Here I should note that President Zelensky thanked me for the active support of Greece in its candidacy for the inclusion of the historical center of Odessa on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Greek element has been present in Ukraine for centuries. He endured persecution and war. But it didn’t disappear. And it is our duty to protect it as much as possible.

Thirdly. Bombed-out Kyiv is, in a sense, the perfect place to explain to the world community what we Greeks are facing. In my contacts, both with my colleague and with President Zelensky, I became even more aware of the element of common challenges. These two countries have large and aggressive neighbors to the east. Neighbors who claim that our lands were erroneously separated from the empires of the past, Russian, Ottoman. There are no borders for the eastern neighbors of Greece and Ukraine. They are artificial. They are directly contested. Both Greece and Ukraine allegedly possess “foreign lands”. Crimea, Donbass, Aegean Islands. At best, our countries should exercise limited territorial sovereignty through their own demilitarization. Our countries, according to the revisionist narrative, trample on the rights of “national” minorities.

Three reports of a rare visit to the bombed-out capital of Ukraine.

Threats of invasion, which ceased to be threats in the case of Ukraine, are replacing hybrid warfare. By any means, such as instrumentalization of migration, interruption of energy flows. Propaganda warfare and personal attacks against the leadership of our countries are part of the hybrid war.

The Turkish side has completely adopted Russian methods. He makes this clear: “Be careful if you don’t want to become Ukraine.” We are responding to the unprecedented challenge we face. Internationalization of Turkish aggression towards allies and partners. Building our alliances. With our European partners, the US, our wider neighborhood, and rising powers that share the same values, such as India and Japan. Always respecting the fundamental principles of international law and European law. However, the seriousness of our speech changes when we talk about the problems we face in Athens, Brussels, Washington. And one more thing, when we take them out of the shelter in Kyiv.

From Kyiv we brought a message that is hard to ignore. That’s why Turkey got angry. The message is simple. The practice against Ukraine, if a barrier is not put up, will find other imitators. The most touching moment of my visit was when my Ukrainian colleague repeated in front of the cameras the slogan of the Greek Revolution “freedom or death”. This visit fulfilled its objectives. The Ukrainian side expressed gratitude for our presence in Kyiv. And it is no coincidence that my colleagues, for example, from Lithuania and Germany, with whom I recently met, showed special understanding and support for the tasks facing our country.

Today, Greece proves at every opportunity that it is a factor of security and stability in its wider region, with increased prestige and international credibility.

* Mr. Nikos Dendias is the Minister of Foreign Affairs.