Konstantinos Tasoulas sent a clear message to Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the Turkish occupation of Cyprus during the Ukrainian President’s visit to Athens.
During the official visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Athens, the President of the Hellenic Republic, Konstantinos Tasoulas, made a direct and targeted reference to the Cyprus issue, reminding of the illegal Turkish invasion and the decades-long occupation of 40% of the island.
Welcoming the Ukrainian leader at the Presidential Mansion, Tasoulas emphasized that Greece has stood by Ukraine from the very first day of the Russian invasion, providing political, diplomatic, economic, military, and humanitarian support to the country’s struggle to defend its sovereignty and freedom.
However, he also issued an indirect yet clear message to Ukraine, the European Union, the United States, and NATO concerning their relations with Turkey. He noted that Greece’s stance is driven not only by its commitment to international law but also by “the trauma of Cyprus” stressing that Cyprus has suffered a similar violation of sovereignty with the Turkish invasion of 1974.
In his second statement, Tasoulas reiterated his point more forcefully, highlighting that 42 years ago the “separatist pseudo-state” in northern Cyprus was declared — an entity still condemned internationally by both the UN Security Council and the broader international community.
Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part, expressed Ukraine’s gratitude for Greece’s unwavering solidarity and for its support of Ukraine’s path toward European Union membership. He also spoke about the major challenges his people face ahead of another difficult winter marked by ongoing drone and missile attacks.
The Ukrainian President thanked Greece for its support in the energy sector, noting ongoing plans to strengthen Ukraine’s energy security. He also made special reference to the humanitarian issue of Ukrainian children abducted and held in Russia, requesting Greece’s support for the international initiative aimed at securing their return.
President Tasoulas reaffirmed that Greece will continue to support Ukraine firmly on all levels — political, humanitarian, and energy-related — remaining a steadfast defender of international legality against any form of aggressive revisionism.