Greece halts seismic surveys off Corfu over stranded whales

by GCT

Greece’s Environment and Energy Ministry ordered a temporary stop to seismic surveys in the northern Ionian amid concerns that the activity is responsible for the recent stranding in shallow waters of three Cuvier’s beaked whales on the coast of the island of Corfu.

All three whales, which did not show any obvious health problems, were taken back to deep waters with the help of volunteers.

The ministry’s Directorate of Environmental Policy requested “immediate and detailed” information from ELPE Upstream, the company conducting the seismic surveys, and the Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management on the its compliance with the conditions included in the environmental action plan, which was approved in May 2021.

At the same time, the ministry ordered the SW Cook research vessel that conducts the surveys to leave the area until it is clarified whether it is related to the standings.

The move came after a letter from 15 environmental organizations was sent to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, asking for the immediate halt of all seismic work, linking them directly to the disorientation of the animals.

The NGOs noted that stopping surveys when there is a suspicion of environmental damage is required not only by the company’s contract with the state, but also by national and international law.

The Ancient, Sacred Olive Tree of the Acropolis that Never Dies

by NATALIE MARTIN


In the heart of the Acropolis, there stands a sacred olive tree.

Over the centuries, the tree has endured wars, eternally surviving, or a branch has always been saved and replanted.

For over 2,500 years, the tree has remained a worthy symbol of Athens, an undying and ancient representation of prosperity, peace, hope, and resurrection.
The Acropolis Olive Tree and the Founding Myth of Athens

According to Greek mythology, the cherished tree of the Acropolis was planted by the Goddess Athena herself and is part of the founding myth of Athens.

Legend has it that Athena and Poseidon argued over the control of Athens, and so Zeus proposed a contest between them, deeming that city would be a prize to the winner.

Athena and Poseidon met on the hill of the Acropolis and Zeus, the Olympian gods, and the people of Athens gathered to witness the contest between the two great gods.



Poseidon struck his three-pronged trident upon the hard rock of the Acropolis, shaking the earth. An underground sea was created, unleashing a saltwater spring. However ancient Athens was a city with access to plenty of rivers and close to the sea; thus Poseidon’s gift was met with limited enthusiasm.

When it was Athena’s turn, she kneeled and planted something on the ground. Within minutes a fully grown olive tree rose from the earth, rich fruit bountifully adorning its branches. The tree, with its high-quality timber and an abundance of nutritional fruit that could also be used to make olive oil with multiple applications, was clearly the superior gift.

Proclaimed as the competition winner, Athena gave her name to the city, which was subsequently called Athens.

The dramatic showdown between the two mighty Olympians is immortalised in stone on the West pediment sculptures of the Parthenon.

While the tree now standing today may not be the original one, the foundation myth of Athens explains why it is held so sacredly, not just by Athenians, but by all Greeks.
History of the Acropolis Olive Tree

When the Great King Xerxes’ Persian armies swept through Greece and sacked Athens in 480BC, the buildings on the Acropolis and the sacred olive tree were set on fire and destroyed.

Despite this, ancient Greek writer and geographer Herodotus claimed that olive tree “sprouted the same day to a height of two cubits” – or around 1 metre. This new growth symbolised hope and the quick recovery of Athenians in the face of adversity.

Seeds from the remnants of this tree were replanted across Attica. Therefore it is commonly believed that all of the olive groves surrounding Athens have a trace of Athena’s original tree in them.



Between 421 and 406 BC, the Erechtheion was built to house the most sacred areas of the Acropolis. It created a precinct for some of the most ancient and holy relics of the Athenians including the beloved olive tree planted by Athena, the Palladion (a xoanon, or olive wood carved effigy of Athena), the marks of Poseidon’s trident, and the Erechtheis (the saltwater well that resulted from Poseidon’s strike).

Once again, the olive tree regained grand monuments in its vicinity and continued to be honoured as a focal part of the Athenian religious and cultural landscape for centuries to come.

The tree has suffered many fires and mutilations as invaders have come and gone.

But a sprig was always saved to be planted later.

Most recently, members of the American School of Archaeology in 1952 replanted the tree with a branch that had been saved and harvested following the destruction caused by the Germans during World War II.

The symbolism of the Olive Tree

Since ancient times, the olive tree has remained a central part of Greek life, cherished for all of its profound qualities.

Whilst the olive tree atop the Athenian Acropolis may have held extra importance to Greeks compared to others due to its divine provenance, olive trees have been treasured by civilisations for thousands of years.

The olive tree symbolises peace, wisdom, fertility, prosperity, health, luck, victory, stability and tranquillity.

Noah’s dove carried an olive branch in its mouth, signifying the salvation of life on earth after the great flood as detailed in The Book of Genesis.

Olive leaves have crowned the heads of victorious Olympic athletes, Generals and Kings.

Olive wood has been used to construct houses and boats.

Olive oil and olives, the fruit of the olive tree, are staples of the Mediterranean diet and a valuable export throughout antiquity and to this day.

The olive tree loves the sea and the Mediterranean sun, it grows even on arid and rocky soils and it survives under droughts and strong winds.

It has accompanied Greeks through times of both prosperity and adversity, leaving its imprint in every aspect of Greek cultural tradition.

Perhaps then it is only fitting that it is at the Acropolis – one of the brightest jewels in humankind’s treasury – that the most cherished olive tree of all time is planted.

AMAZING FIND! Man buys house in Thessaloniki and discovers Roman-era marble statues (PHOTOS)

by ATHENS BUREAU


Two marble heads of female statues from the Roman era were found in an apartment in the centre of Thessaloniki, which was recently bought by a 35-year-old man.

According to SKAI, the new owner of the apartment found these fascinating artefacts carefully hidden in the attic.

Also found were a number of relevant documents, which according to the opinion of an archaeologist of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Thessaloniki, fall under Law 3028/2002 on the protection and cultural heritage.

The preliminary investigation is being carried out by the Department of Cultural Heritage and Antiquities of the Security Directorate of Thessaloniki.







The city of Thessaloniki was founded in 315 BC by Cassander of Macedon and was named after his wife Thessalonike, daughter of Philip II of Macedon and sister of Alexander the Great.

The city was the second largest and wealthiest in the Byzantine Empire, after Constantinople of course.

By about 50 A.D., the city was also one of the early centres of Christianity.

On his second missionary journey, Paul the Apostle visited this city’s chief synagogue on three Sabbaths and sowed the seeds for Thessaloniki’s first Christian church.

Later, Paul wrote two letters to the new church, preserved in the Biblical canon as First and Second Thessalonians.

Some scholars hold that the First Epistle to the Thessalonians is the first written book of the New Testament.

In 306 AD, St. Demetrius became the patron saint of the city, a Christian whom Galerius is said to have put to death.

Most scholars agree with Hippolyte Delehaye’s theory that Demetrius was not a Thessaloniki native, but his veneration was transferred to the city when it replaced Sirmium as the main military base in the Balkans.

A basilical church dedicated to St. Demetrius, Hagios Demetrios, was first built in the 5th century AD and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When the Roman Empire was divided into the tetrarchy, the city became the administrative capital of one of the four portions of the Empire under Galerius Maximianus Caesar.

Galerius commissioned an imperial palace, a new hippodrome, a triumphal arch and a mausoleum among others.

In 379, when the Prefecture of Illyricum was divided between the East and West Roman Empires, Thessaloniki became the capital of the new Prefecture of Illyricum.

The following year, the Edict of Thessalonica made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

In 390, Gothic troops under the Emperor Theodosius I, led a massacre against the city’s inhabitants, who had risen in revolt against the Gothic soldiers.

Just as the city was for most of its Hellenic history, it today is Greece’s second city.

READ MORE: Greeks are Everywhere: The Greek History Behind the Sicilian Flag.

Putin is 'startled' by antiwar protests in Russia — and terrified of 'uprising' against him: Historian

Matthew Chapman

RAW STORY
February 24, 2022



On Thursday's edition of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," David Remnick, a historian who has written extensively about Soviet history, broke down how Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is already creating domestic problems for him.

"You heard President Biden talk about this in his speech today, Putin's desire to remake the Soviet Union," said Cooper. "Do you think that is actually — I mean it may be an ideological aim — do you think it's an actual realistic thing he thinks he can achieve?"

"I think in a sense that what Biden seemed to be talking about the re-creation of this old Soviet Union -- and all 15 of what were republics and what are now independent nations -- is not only impossible but crazily expensive," said Remnick. "Why did empire collapse all over the world, historically, not only the Soviet Union but Austria-Hungary and all the rest? Empire is expensive. Russia is not a wealthy country. Its entire economy is the size of the economy of Texas. And most of that those resources come right out of energy extractions and very fragile economy for a country that large. Today we saw the ruble crater. We saw the Russian stock market crater."

RELATED: Trump is Putin's 'most valuable useful idiot' — and the GOP will soon 'fall into line': MSNBC analyst

Remnick then turned to the signs of dissent in the streets of major Russian cities.

"We also saw something very curious, and I have to say maybe even unexpected," continued Remnick. "Despite the continuing crackdown on dissent in Russia that's been going on for years, we saw protests of modest scale in dozens of Russian cities. And over — according to one report over 1,500 arrests, brutal arrests and so on. So to see politics on the street is, I think, startling to Vladimir Putin as what he dreads the most, what he fears the most is some kind of uprising against him. And so we — we're coming to a reckoning here where internal Russian politics are concerned, too."

"The question here that has to be at the center is, what does Vladimir Putin think he's doing? Toward what end?" added Remnick. "How, in any way, does this help bring prosperity or even security to Russia? What threat is he responding to? Was Ukraine threatening Russia? Was NATO threatening Russia? No. I think that Putin, in large measure — not to make this into a novel — but in large measure, is responding to his own self-drama as a man of great power and wanting to expand Russian power, revive Russian power, after his failure to bring prosperity to Russia after 22 years in power."

Watch below:
Historian says Putin is "startled" by domestic protests against his war

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How 'paranoid' Putin's Ukraine invasion could lead to 'accidental' nuclear crisis: military expert

Brad Reed
February 24, 2022

Vladimir Putin (Shutterstock)

Tom Nichols, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College and at the Harvard Extension School, has written a lengthy piece for The Atlantic about the potential for Russia's invasion of Ukraine to spiral into a nuclear crisis.

Nichols describes Russian President Vladimir Putin as "paranoid," although he doesn't believe that he's outright insane -- in other words, he does not expect Putin to directly attack a NATO country.

Rather, Nichols thinks the big risk is that a misstep by Russia's military could lead to an escalation that gets out of hand.

"There are countless opportunities for such errors in the chaos now overtaking Ukraine," he writes. "The Russians might shoot at NATO aircraft after misidentifying them. Or they might incorrectly believe that Russian aircraft have been attacked by NATO forces. They might suffer a misfire or a targeting error of some kind that puts Russian ordnance on NATO territory. Europe’s a crowded continent, and no place for a jumpy trigger finger, but accidents are an unavoidable part of warfare."

Nichols also raises the "frightening possibility that Putin will increase the alert status of his nuclear forces for his own reasons, leaving the Americans no choice but to raise their alert status," and thus set the stage for a nuclear standoff.


THE ATLANTIC
Read the whole analysis here.

PAYWALL

Putin waves nuclear sword in confrontation with the West

By JOHN DANISZEWSKI

In this image made from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressees the nation in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to "consequences you have never seen." (Russian Presidential Press Service via AP)

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — It has been a long time since the threat of using nuclear weapons has been brandished so openly by a world leader, but Vladimir Putin has just done it, warning in a speech that he has the weapons available if anyone dares to use military means to try to stop Russia’s takeover of Ukraine.

The threat may have been empty, a mere baring of fangs by the Russian president, but it was noticed. It kindled visions of a nightmarish outcome in which Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine could lead to a nuclear war through accident or miscalculation.

“As for military affairs, even after the dissolution of the USSR and losing a considerable part of its capabilities, today’s Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states,” Putin said, in his pre-invasion address early Thursday.

“Moreover, it has a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons. In this context, there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.”

By merely suggesting a nuclear response, Putin put into play the disturbing possibility that the current fighting in Ukraine might eventually veer into an atomic confrontation between Russia and the United States.

That apocalyptic scenario is familiar to those who grew up during the Cold War, an era when American school children were told to duck and cover under their desks in case of nuclear sirens, But that danger gradually receded from the public imagination after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when the two powers seemed to be on a glide path to disarmament, democracy and prosperity.

Before that, even young people understood the terrifying .idea behind the strategy of mutual assured destruction -- MAD for short -- a balance in nuclear capabilities that was meant to keep hands on each side off of the atomic trigger, knowing that any use of the doomsday weapons could end in the annihilation of both sides in a conflict.

And amazingly, no country has used nuclear weapons since 1945, when President Harry Truman dropped bombs on Japan in the belief that it was the surest way to end World War II quickly. It did, but at a loss of about 200,000 mostly civilian lives in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Around the world, even today, many regard that as a crime against humanity and question if it was worth it.

For a brief time after the war, the United States had a nuclear monopoly. But a few years after, the Soviet Union announced its own nuclear bomb and the two sides of the Cold War engaged in an arms race to build and develop increasingly more powerful weapons over the next few decades.

With the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, and its transformation to a hoped-for democracy under Boris Yeltsin, the United States and Russia agreed to limits on their armaments. Other post-Soviet countries like Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus voluntarily gave up the nukes on their territory after the Soviet Union dissolved.

In recent years, if nuclear weapons were spoken of at all, it was usually in the context of stopping their proliferation to countries like North Korea and Iran. (Iran denies that it wants to possess them and North Korea has been steadily but slowly building both its nuclear weapons and its delivery mechanisms. ) President Joe Biden has been aware of the danger of nuclear war between Russia and NATO since the emergence of the crisis with Ukraine. From the start, he has said NATO would not be sending troops into Ukraine because it could trigger direct fighting between the U.S. and Russia, leading to nuclear escalation and possibly World War III.

It was a tacit admission that the United States would not take on the Russians militarily over Ukraine, and instead rely on extraordinary sanctions to gradually strangle the Russian economy.

But the admission also included another truth. When it came to fighting off a Russian invasion, Ukraine remained on its own because it is a non-treaty member and does not qualify for protection under NATO’s nuclear umbrella.

If Putin tried to attack one of the America’s NATO partners, however, that would be a different situation, because the pact is fully committed to mutual defense, Biden has said.

Knowing that Biden had already taken a military response off the table, why did Putin even bother to raise it in his speech?

In part, he may have wanted to keep the West off balance, to prevent it from taking aggressive action to defend Ukraine against Putin’s blitzkrieg drive to take over the country.

But the deeper context seemed to be his great desire to show the world that Russia is a powerful nation, not to be ignored. Putin talks repeatedly about the humiliation of Russia after the Soviet collapse. By waving his nuclear sword, he echoed the bluster with which the Soviet Union had stared down the United States and earned, in his mind, respect.

After Putin’s speech, Pentagon officials offered only a muted response to his implied threat to use nuclear weapons against any country that tried to intervene in Ukraine.

A senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Thursday that U.S. officials “don’t see an increased threat in that regard,” but he would not say more.

Putin’s language touches a raw nerve in the Pentagon because it highlights a longstanding concern that he might be willing to preemptively use nuclear weapons in Europe preemptively in a crisis.

This is one reason Washington has tried for years, without success, to persuade Moscow to negotiate limits on so-called tactical nuclear weapons -– those of shorter range that could be used in a regional war. Russia has a large numerical advantage in that weaponry, and some officials say the gap is growing.

Coincidentally, the Biden administration was wrapping up a Nuclear Posture Review –- a study of possible changes to U.S. nuclear forces and the policies that govern their use –- when Russia’s troop buildup near Ukraine reached a crisis stage this month. It’s unclear whether that study’s results will be reworked in light of the Russian invasion.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE — John Daniszewski, an AP vice president and former correspondent in Eastern Europe, has written about European affairs since the 1980s.

___

AP national defense writer Robert Burns contributed to this story from Washington.

'GREAT RUSSIAN' REVISIONIST HISTORY

Russian President Vladimir Putin presents rationale for Ukraine invasion

 (FULL TRANSCRIPT)

by KOSTA PAPADOPOULOS


Following is the full transcript of Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s address to the Russian people on the rationale behind his decision to recognise the independence of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk breakaway regions and send military troops.

24 February 2022

President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Citizens of Russia, friends,

I consider it necessary today to speak again about the tragic events in Donbass and the key aspects of ensuring the security of Russia.

I will begin with what I said in my address on February 21, 2022. I spoke about our biggest concerns and worries, and about the fundamental threats which irresponsible Western politicians created for Russia consistently, rudely and unceremoniously from year to year. I am referring to the eastward expansion of NATO, which is moving its military infrastructure ever closer to the Russian border.

It is a fact that over the past 30 years we have been patiently trying to come to an agreement with the leading NATO countries regarding the principles of equal and indivisible security in Europe. In response to our proposals, we invariably faced either cynical deception and lies or attempts at pressure and blackmail, while the North Atlantic alliance continued to expand despite our protests and concerns. Its military machine is moving and, as I said, is approaching our very border.

Why is this happening? Where did this insolent manner of talking down from the height of their exceptionalism, infallibility and all-permissiveness come from? What is the explanation for this contemptuous and disdainful attitude to our interests and absolutely legitimate demands?

The answer is simple. Everything is clear and obvious. In the late 1980s, the Soviet Union grew weaker and subsequently broke apart. That experience should serve as a good lesson for us, because it has shown us that the paralysis of power and will is the first step towards complete degradation and oblivion. We lost confidence for only one moment, but it was enough to disrupt the balance of forces in the world.

As a result, the old treaties and agreements are no longer effective. Entreaties and requests do not help. Anything that does not suit the dominant state, the powers that be, is denounced as archaic, obsolete and useless. At the same time, everything it regards as useful is presented as the ultimate truth and forced on others regardless of the cost, abusively and by any means available. Those who refuse to comply are subjected to strong-arm tactics.

What I am saying now does not concerns only Russia, and Russia is not the only country that is worried about this. This has to do with the entire system of international relations, and sometimes even US allies. The collapse of the Soviet Union led to a redivision of the world, and the norms of international law that developed by that time – and the most important of them, the fundamental norms that were adopted following WWII and largely formalised its outcome – came in the way of those who declared themselves the winners of the Cold War.

Of course, practice, international relations and the rules regulating them had to take into account the changes that took place in the world and in the balance of forces. However, this should have been done professionally, smoothly, patiently, and with due regard and respect for the interests of all states and one’s own responsibility. Instead, we saw a state of euphoria created by the feeling of absolute superiority, a kind of modern absolutism, coupled with the low cultural standards and arrogance of those who formulated and pushed through decisions that suited only themselves. The situation took a different turn.

There are many examples of this. First a bloody military operation was waged against Belgrade, without the UN Security Council’s sanction but with combat aircraft and missiles used in the heart of Europe. The bombing of peaceful cities and vital infrastructure went on for several weeks. I have to recall these facts, because some Western colleagues prefer to forget them, and when we mentioned the event, they prefer to avoid speaking about international law, instead emphasising the circumstances which they interpret as they think necessary.

Then came the turn of Iraq, Libya and Syria. The illegal use of military power against Libya and the distortion of all the UN Security Council decisions on Libya ruined the state, created a huge seat of international terrorism, and pushed the country towards a humanitarian catastrophe, into the vortex of a civil war, which has continued there for years. The tragedy, which was created for hundreds of thousands and even millions of people not only in Libya but in the whole region, has led to a large-scale exodus from the Middle East and North Africa to Europe.

A similar fate was also prepared for Syria. The combat operations conducted by the Western coalition in that country without the Syrian government’s approval or UN Security Council’s sanction can only be defined as aggression and intervention.

But the example that stands apart from the above events is, of course, the invasion of Iraq without any legal grounds. They used the pretext of allegedly reliable information available in the United States about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. To prove that allegation, the US Secretary of State held up a vial with white power, publicly, for the whole world to see, assuring the international community that it was a chemical warfare agent created in Iraq. It later turned out that all of that was a fake and a sham, and that Iraq did not have any chemical weapons. Incredible and shocking but true. We witnessed lies made at the highest state level and voiced from the high UN rostrum. As a result we see a tremendous loss in human life, damage, destruction, and a colossal upsurge of terrorism.

Overall, it appears that nearly everywhere, in many regions of the world where the United States brought its law and order, this created bloody, non-healing wounds and the curse of international terrorism and extremism. I have only mentioned the most glaring but far from only examples of disregard for international law.

This array includes promises not to expand NATO eastwards even by an inch. To reiterate: they have deceived us, or, to put it simply, they have played us. Sure, one often hears that politics is a dirty business. It could be, but it shouldn’t be as dirty as it is now, not to such an extent. This type of con-artist behaviour is contrary not only to the principles of international relations but also and above all to the generally accepted norms of morality and ethics. Where is justice and truth here? Just lies and hypocrisy all around.

Incidentally, US politicians, political scientists and journalists write and say that a veritable “empire of lies” has been created inside the United States in recent years. It is hard to disagree with this – it is really so. But one should not be modest about it: the United States is still a great country and a system-forming power. All its satellites not only humbly and obediently say yes to and parrot it at the slightest pretext but also imitate its behaviour and enthusiastically accept the rules it is offering them. Therefore, one can say with good reason and confidence that the whole so-called Western bloc formed by the United States in its own image and likeness is, in its entirety, the very same “empire of lies.”

As for our country, after the disintegration of the USSR, given the entire unprecedented openness of the new, modern Russia, its readiness to work honestly with the United States and other Western partners, and its practically unilateral disarmament, they immediately tried to put the final squeeze on us, finish us off, and utterly destroy us. This is how it was in the 1990s and the early 2000s, when the so-called collective West was actively supporting separatism and gangs of mercenaries in southern Russia. What victims, what losses we had to sustain and what trials we had to go through at that time before we broke the back of international terrorism in the Caucasus! We remember this and will never forget.

Properly speaking, the attempts to use us in their own interests never ceased until quite recently: they sought to destroy our traditional values and force on us their false values that would erode us, our people from within, the attitudes they have been aggressively imposing on their countries, attitudes that are directly leading to degradation and degeneration, because they are contrary to human nature. This is not going to happen. No one has ever succeeded in doing this, nor will they succeed now.

Despite all that, in December 2021, we made yet another attempt to reach agreement with the United States and its allies on the principles of European security and NATO’s non-expansion. Our efforts were in vain. The United States has not changed its position. It does not believe it necessary to agree with Russia on a matter that is critical for us. The United States is pursuing its own objectives, while neglecting our interests.

Of course, this situation begs a question: what next, what are we to expect? If history is any guide, we know that in 1940 and early 1941 the Soviet Union went to great lengths to prevent war or at least delay its outbreak. To this end, the USSR sought not to provoke the potential aggressor until the very end by refraining or postponing the most urgent and obvious preparations it had to make to defend itself from an imminent attack. When it finally acted, it was too late.

As a result, the country was not prepared to counter the invasion by Nazi Germany, which attacked our Motherland on June 22, 1941, without declaring war. The country stopped the enemy and went on to defeat it, but this came at a tremendous cost. The attempt to appease the aggressor ahead of the Great Patriotic War proved to be a mistake which came at a high cost for our people. In the first months after the hostilities broke out, we lost vast territories of strategic importance, as well as millions of lives. We will not make this mistake the second time. We have no right to do so.

Those who aspire to global dominance have publicly designated Russia as their enemy. They did so with impunity. Make no mistake, they had no reason to act this way. It is true that they have considerable financial, scientific, technological, and military capabilities. We are aware of this and have an objective view of the economic threats we have been hearing, just as our ability to counter this brash and never-ending blackmail. Let me reiterate that we have no illusions in this regard and are extremely realistic in our assessments.

As for military affairs, even after the dissolution of the USSR and losing a considerable part of its capabilities, today’s Russia remains one of the most powerful nuclear states. Moreover, it has a certain advantage in several cutting-edge weapons. In this context, there should be no doubt for anyone that any potential aggressor will face defeat and ominous consequences should it directly attack our country.

At the same time, technology, including in the defence sector, is changing rapidly. One day there is one leader, and tomorrow another, but a military presence in territories bordering on Russia, if we permit it to go ahead, will stay for decades to come or maybe forever, creating an ever mounting and totally unacceptable threat for Russia.

Even now, with NATO’s eastward expansion the situation for Russia has been becoming worse and more dangerous by the year. Moreover, these past days NATO leadership has been blunt in its statements that they need to accelerate and step up efforts to bring the alliance’s infrastructure closer to Russia’s borders. In other words, they have been toughening their position. We cannot stay idle and passively observe these developments. This would be an absolutely irresponsible thing to do for us.

Any further expansion of the North Atlantic alliance’s infrastructure or the ongoing efforts to gain a military foothold of the Ukrainian territory are unacceptable for us. Of course, the question is not about NATO itself. It merely serves as a tool of US foreign policy. The problem is that in territories adjacent to Russia, which I have to note is our historical land, a hostile “anti-Russia” is taking shape. Fully controlled from the outside, it is doing everything to attract NATO armed forces and obtain cutting-edge weapons.

For the United States and its allies, it is a policy of containing Russia, with obvious geopolitical dividends. For our country, it is a matter of life and death, a matter of our historical future as a nation. This is not an exaggeration; this is a fact. It is not only a very real threat to our interests but to the very existence of our state and to its sovereignty. It is the red line which we have spoken about on numerous occasions. They have crossed it.

This brings me to the situation in Donbass. We can see that the forces that staged the coup in Ukraine in 2014 have seized power, are keeping it with the help of ornamental election procedures and have abandoned the path of a peaceful conflict settlement. For eight years, for eight endless years we have been doing everything possible to settle the situation by peaceful political means. Everything was in vain.

As I said in my previous address, you cannot look without compassion at what is happening there. It became impossible to tolerate it. We had to stop that atrocity, that genocide of the millions of people who live there and who pinned their hopes on Russia, on all of us. It is their aspirations, the feelings and pain of these people that were the main motivating force behind our decision to recognise the independence of the Donbass people’s republics.

I would like to additionally emphasise the following. Focused on their own goals, the leading NATO countries are supporting the far-right nationalists and neo-Nazis in Ukraine, those who will never forgive the people of Crimea and Sevastopol for freely making a choice to reunite with Russia.

They will undoubtedly try to bring war to Crimea just as they have done in Donbass, to kill innocent people just as members of the punitive units of Ukrainian nationalists and Hitler’s accomplices did during the Great Patriotic War. They have also openly laid claim to several other Russian regions.

If we look at the sequence of events and the incoming reports, the showdown between Russia and these forces cannot be avoided. It is only a matter of time. They are getting ready and waiting for the right moment. Moreover, they went as far as aspire to acquire nuclear weapons. We will not let this happen.

I have already said that Russia accepted the new geopolitical reality after the dissolution of the USSR. We have been treating all new post-Soviet states with respect and will continue to act this way. We respect and will respect their sovereignty, as proven by the assistance we provided to Kazakhstan when it faced tragic events and a challenge in terms of its statehood and integrity. However, Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist while facing a permanent threat from the territory of today’s Ukraine.

Let me remind you that in 2000–2005 we used our military to push back against terrorists in the Caucasus and stood up for the integrity of our state. We preserved Russia. In 2014, we supported the people of Crimea and Sevastopol. In 2015, we used our Armed Forces to create a reliable shield that prevented terrorists from Syria from penetrating Russia. This was a matter of defending ourselves. We had no other choice.

The same is happening today. They did not leave us any other option for defending Russia and our people, other than the one we are forced to use today. In these circumstances, we have to take bold and immediate action. The people’s republics of Donbass have asked Russia for help.

In this context, in accordance with Article 51 (Chapter VII) of the UN Charter, with permission of Russia’s Federation Council, and in execution of the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic, ratified by the Federal Assembly on February 22, I made a decision to carry out a special military operation.

The purpose of this operation is to protect people who, for eight years now, have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kiev regime. To this end, we will seek to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine, as well as bring to trial those who perpetrated numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including against citizens of the Russian Federation.

It is not our plan to occupy the Ukrainian territory. We do not intend to impose anything on anyone by force. At the same time, we have been hearing an increasing number of statements coming from the West that there is no need any more to abide by the documents setting forth the outcomes of World War II, as signed by the totalitarian Soviet regime. How can we respond to that?

The outcomes of World War II and the sacrifices our people had to make to defeat Nazism are sacred. This does not contradict the high values of human rights and freedoms in the reality that emerged over the post-war decades. This does not mean that nations cannot enjoy the right to self-determination, which is enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter.

Let me remind you that the people living in territories which are part of today’s Ukraine were not asked how they want to build their lives when the USSR was created or after World War II. Freedom guides our policy, the freedom to choose independently our future and the future of our children. We believe that all the peoples living in today’s Ukraine, anyone who want to do this, must be able to enjoy this right to make a free choice.

In this context I would like to address the citizens of Ukraine. In 2014, Russia was obliged to protect the people of Crimea and Sevastopol from those who you yourself call “nats.” The people of Crimea and Sevastopol made their choice in favour of being with their historical homeland, Russia, and we supported their choice. As I said, we could not act otherwise.

The current events have nothing to do with a desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. They are connected with the defending Russia from those who have taken Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country and our people.

I reiterate: we are acting to defend ourselves from the threats created for us and from a worse peril than what is happening now. I am asking you, however hard this may be, to understand this and to work together with us so as to turn this tragic page as soon as possible and to move forward together, without allowing anyone to interfere in our affairs and our relations but developing them independently, so as to create favourable conditions for overcoming all these problems and to strengthen us from within as a single whole, despite the existence of state borders. I believe in this, in our common future.

I would also like to address the military personnel of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Comrade officers,

Your fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers did not fight the Nazi occupiers and did not defend our common Motherland to allow today’s neo-Nazis to seize power in Ukraine. You swore the oath of allegiance to the Ukrainian people and not to the junta, the people’s adversary which is plundering Ukraine and humiliating the Ukrainian people.

I urge you to refuse to carry out their criminal orders. I urge you to immediately lay down arms and go home. I will explain what this means: the military personnel of the Ukrainian army who do this will be able to freely leave the zone of hostilities and return to their families.

I want to emphasise again that all responsibility for the possible bloodshed will lie fully and wholly with the ruling Ukrainian regime.

I would now like to say something very important for those who may be tempted to interfere in these developments from the outside. No matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be such as you have never seen in your entire history. No matter how the events unfold, we are ready. All the necessary decisions in this regard have been taken. I hope that my words will be heard.

Citizens of Russia,

The culture and values, experience and traditions of our ancestors invariably provided a powerful underpinning for the wellbeing and the very existence of entire states and nations, their success and viability. Of course, this directly depends on the ability to quickly adapt to constant change, maintain social cohesion, and readiness to consolidate and summon all the available forces in order to move forward.

We always need to be strong, but this strength can take on different forms. The “empire of lies,” which I mentioned in the beginning of my speech, proceeds in its policy primarily from rough, direct force. This is when our saying on being “all brawn and no brains” applies.

We all know that having justice and truth on our side is what makes us truly strong. If this is the case, it would be hard to disagree with the fact that it is our strength and our readiness to fight that are the bedrock of independence and sovereignty and provide the necessary foundation for building a reliable future for your home, your family, and your Motherland.

Dear compatriots,

I am certain that devoted soldiers and officers of Russia’s Armed Forces will perform their duty with professionalism and courage. I have no doubt that the government institutions at all levels and specialists will work effectively to guarantee the stability of our economy, financial system and social wellbeing, and the same applies to corporate executives and the entire business community. I hope that all parliamentary parties and civil society take a consolidated, patriotic position.

At the end of the day, the future of Russia is in the hands of its multi-ethnic people, as has always been the case in our history. This means that the decisions that I made will be executed, that we will achieve the goals we have set, and reliably guarantee the security of our Motherland.

I believe in your support and the invincible force rooted in the love for our Fatherland.

—-end of transcript—

Nuclear watchdog expresses concern over Chernobyl plant

IAEA appeals for ‘maximum restraint’ to avoid any action that may put nuclear facilities at risk amid Russia-Ukraine conflict

News Service

February 25, 2022

File photo

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed “grave concern” Thursday over the situation at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant amid Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.

The IAEA “is following the situation in Ukraine with grave concern and is appealing for maximum restraint to avoid any action that may put the country’s nuclear facilities at risk,” said Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the Vienna-based agency, in a statement.

“In line with its mandate, the IAEA is closely monitoring developments in Ukraine with a special focus on the safety and security of its nuclear power plants and other nuclear-related facilities,” said the statement.

The IAEA’s statement came after Ukraine announced that Kyiv had lost control of the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the country’s north after a fierce battle with Russian forces.

Ukraine’s regulatory body had earlier informed the IAEA that it is maintaining communications with the country’s operational nuclear power plants, which it said are operating safely and securely.

“Regarding the situation at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine has informed the IAEA that ‘unidentified armed forces’ have taken control of all facilities of the State Specialized Enterprise Chernobyl NPP, located within the Exclusion Zone,” the statement added.

According to the statement, the Ukraine regulatory body said there had been no casualties or destruction at the industrial site.

Grossi highlighted that it is of “vital importance that the safe and secure operations of the nuclear facilities in that zone should not be affected or disrupted in any way.”

Recalling a 2009 decision adopted by the IAEA, he said “any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency.”

On Thursday, the US condemned reports that Russian forces had taken staff of the Chernobyl nuclear waste storage facility in Ukraine hostage and called for their release.

In 1986, an accident known as the world's worst nuclear disaster occurred at the fourth reactor in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, located 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the city of Pripyat -- which was built in the 1970s to house workers at the plant -- in the north of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Russian troops enter Kyiv after taking control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant, says Ukrainian President

India Today Web Desk Kyiv

February 25, 2022 


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy holds a joint news conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Kyiv, Ukraine on February 23, 2022. (REUTERS)

Russian troops are closing in on the seat of Ukrainian power after taking control of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday.

Zelenskyy also warned that the Russian armed forces would seize Kyiv within 96 hours, bringing a 'new Iron Curtain' down on Europe, the Daily Mail reported.

Earlier in the day, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal had said that the Chernobyl exclusion zone and all the structures of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant have been captured by the Russian armed groups.

Some Russian military massed in the Chernobyl "exclusion zone" before crossing into Ukraine early on Thursday, a Russian security source had said, adding that Russia wants to control the Chernobyl nuclear reactor to signal NATO not to interfere militarily.

Russia's defense ministry also confirmed it's in full control of Chernobyl, saying that radiation levels are normal, BNO news reported.

The nuclear plant - the site of the world's worst nuclear accident - lies 130 kilometers north of Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry tweeted saying that a Russian attack on Ukraine could “cause another ecological disaster.”

Amid Russian military operations, the Ukrainian President is creating an anti-Russia coalition against President Vladimir Putin.

Meanwhile, the Ukranian army provided 10,000 assault rifles to locals to defend the country, Kyiv media reported on Friday.

CNN reporter explains the likely reason Russia wants to seize control of Chernobyl site

Matthew Chapman

RAW STORY
February 24, 2022

‘We have a chance to show the truth’:

 Inside Chernobyl's 'death zone' 30 years later

On Thursday's edition of CNN's "The Lead," correspondent Matthew Chance explained the likely reason why Russian forces are moving on the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant — the location of the worst civilian nuclear disaster in history.

"Do we have any idea why Russia might want control of Chernobyl?" asked anchor Jake Tapper. "Is it just another piece of territory, or is there something more to it than that?"

"I've been they thinking about that a little bit and it's difficult to say. But the obvious answer is the geographical location of it," said Chance. "It's not far from Kyiv, but it's also on the border of Belarus, so it's a bit of open territory which even though it's contaminated terribly of course still with radioactive material, it is territory that gives access to Ukraine from the north, from Belarus. There was also a lot of speculation in the Russian media particularly before this invasion happened that Chernobyl could be a potentially dangerous place where an ecological disaster could be sparked."

"Ukrainians have been expressing their concern about that as well," continued Chance. "That's why I said it was so terrifying that it's a potentially dangerous military confrontation around that nuclear reactor, which is currently housed in a sarcophagus made out of concrete to try to limit any further damage that could be caused by it. Of course, if it does become the focus of a strong military confrontation between these two armies, that could kick up all sorts of horrific radioactive material and, you know, cause that massive catastrophe to repeat itself all over again. I think probably it's fair to say neither side wants that."

Watch below:
Matthew Chance explains why Russia is seizing the Chernobyl site

www.youtube.com

Chernobyl no-go zone targeted as Russia invades Ukraine

By JIM HEINTZ

1 of 6

 A Soviet-era top secret object Duga, an over-the-horizon radar system once used as part of the Soviet missile defense early-warning radar network, seen behind a radioactivity sign in Chernobyl, Ukraine, on Nov. 22, 2018. Among the most worrying developments on an already shocking day, as Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, was warfare at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, where radioactivity is still leaking from history's worst nuclear disaster 36 years ago. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)


KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — It was among the most worrying developments on an already shocking day, as Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday: warfare at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, where radioactivity is still leaking from history’s worst nuclear disaster 36 years ago.

Russian forces took control over the site after a fierce battle with Ukrainian national guards protecting the decommissioned plant, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told The Associated Press. The condition of the plant’s facilities, a confinement shelter and a repository for nuclear waste is unknown, he said.

An official familiar with current assessments said Russian shelling hit a radioactive waste repository at Chernobyl, and an increase in radiation levels was reported. The increase could not be immediately corroborated.

A senior American intelligence official said the U.S. believes Russian forces at Chernobyl were aiming to push to Kyiv, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of the plant, to try to link with other Russian forces throughout Ukraine. The officials were not authorized to be publicly named discussing the sensitive matter.

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a 2,600-square-kilometer (1,000-square-mile) zone of forest surrounding the shuttered plant, lies between the Belarus-Ukraine border and the Ukrainian capital.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian officers fought to defend it, “so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated.” He called it a “declaration of war against the whole of Europe.”

Adviser Podolyak said that after an “absolutely senseless attack ... it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe.” He warned that Russian authorities could blame Ukraine for damage to the site or stage provocations from there.

Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashenko warned that any attack on the waste repository could send radioactive dust over “the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and countries of the EU.”

Russian officials, who have revealed little of their operations in Ukraine and not revealed their goals, did not publicly comment on the battle.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it is following the situation in Ukraine “with grave concern” and appealed for maximum restraint to avoid any action that may put Ukraine’s nuclear facilities at risk.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the IAEA’s general director, said Ukraine has informed the Vienna-based agency that ”unidentified armed forces” have taken control of all facilities at the plant and that there had been no casualties or destruction at the industrial site. Grossi said it is “of vital importance that the safe and secure operations of the nuclear facilities in that zone should not be affected or disrupted in any way.″

Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, said, “I can’t imagine how it would be in Russia’s interest to allow any facilities at Chernobyl to be damaged.”

In an interview, Lyman said he is most worried about spent fuel stored at the site, which has not been active since 2000. If the power to cooling pumps is disrupted or fuel-storage tanks are damaged, the results could be catastrophic, he said.

Reactor No. 4 at the power plant exploded and caught fire deep in the night on April 26, 1986, shattering the building and spewing radioactive material high into the sky.

Soviet authorities made the catastrophe even worse by failing to tell the public what had happened, angering European governments and the Soviet people. The 2 million residents of Kyiv weren’t informed despite the fallout danger, and the world learned of the disaster only after heightened radiation was detected in Sweden.

The building containing the exploded reactor was covered in 2017 by an enormous shelter aimed at containing radiation still leaking from the accident. Robots inside the shelter work to dismantle the destroyed reactor and gather up the radioactive waste.

It’s expected to take until 2064 to finish dismantling the reactors. Ukraine decided to use the deserted zone as the site for its centralized storage facility for spent fuel from the country’s other remaining nuclear power plants.

Germany’s vice chancellor and economy minister, Robert Habeck, told The Associated Press that Russia would not need to obtain nuclear material from Chernobyl if it wanted to use it for any purpose, because it has enough such material of its own.

___

Associated Press writers Nomaan Merchant and Matthew Daly in Washington, James LaPorta in Boca Raton, Florida, Angela Charlton in Paris and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for CHERNOBYL 

COLLATERAL DAMAGE

Turkish-owned vessel hit by bomb in Black Sea

No casualties reported after bomb hits Marshall Islands-flagged Yasa Jupiter off Odessa's coast, says Turkish authority

News Service 

February 25, 2022


A Turkish-owned ship sailing in the Black Sea was hit by a bomb off the coast of Ukraine’s port city of Odessa, Turkish authorities said on Thursday.

According to Turkiye’s Directorate General of Maritime Affairs, there were no casualties in the incident, which came after Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine early on Thursday.

The Marshall Islands-flagged and Turkish-owned Yasa Jupiter did not send out any request for help and was safely heading toward Romanian territorial waters, it added.

#CYBERWAR

Cypriot IT company denies links to malware found before Russian invasion

by GCT


On February 23rd, the threat intelligence community began observing a new wiper malware sample circulating in Ukrainian organizations.

Our analysis shows a signed driver is being used to deploy a wiper that targets Windows devices, manipulating the MBR resulting in subsequent boot failure.

This blog includes the technical details of the wiper, dubbed HermeticWiper, and includes IOCs to allow organisations to stay protected from this attack.

This sample is actively being used against Ukrainian organizations, and this blog will be updated as more information becomes available.

A 24-year-old videogame designer who runs his small business out of a home next to an old Greek orthodox Cypriot church in a quiet suburb of Nicosia now finds himself involved in a global crisis following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Polis Trachonitis’ firm, Hermetica Digital Ltd, has been implicated by US researchers in a data-shredding cyber attack that hit hundreds of computers in Ukraine, Lithuania, and Latvia.

Discovered on Wednesday night just hours before Russian troops rolled into Ukraine, the cyber attack was widely seen as the opening salvo of Moscow’s invasion.

The malware had been signed using a digital certificate with Hermetica Digital’s name on it, according to the researchers, some of whom have started calling the malicious code “HermeticWiper” because of the connection.

Trachonitis told Reuters he had nothing to do with the attack. He said he never sought a digital certificate and had no idea one had been issued to his firm.

“I’m just a Cypriot guy .. I have no link to Russia.”

Ukraine calls on hackers to help cyber defence against Russia

Requests for volunteers appeared on hacker forums by cybersecurity companies who were contacted by the Ukrainian government to help defend essential infrastructure from Russian forces.

Hacker volunteers would be divided into defensive and offensive cyber units. (AP Archive)

The government of Ukraine has been asking for volunteers from the country's hacker underground to help defend critical infrastructure and conduct cyber spying missions against Russian troops.

As Russian forces attacked cities across Ukraine, according to two people involved in the project, requests for volunteers began to appear on hacker forums on Thursday morning, as many residents fled the capital Kiev.

"Ukrainian cybercommunity! It's time to get involved in the cyber defence of our country," the post read, asking hackers and cybersecurity experts to submit an application via Google docs.

Yegor Aushev, the co-founder of a cybersecurity company in Kiev, told Reuters news agency that he wrote the post at the request of a senior Defense Ministry official who contacted him on Thursday.

The effort to build a cyber military force is coming late in the game, Aushev acknowledged.

Aushev said the volunteers would be divided into defensive and offensive cyber units.

The defensive unit would be employed to defend infrastructures such as power plants and water systems.

The offensive volunteer unit Aushev said he is organising would help Ukraine's military conduct digital espionage operations against invading Russian forces.

READ MORE: Russia-Ukraine crisis: 'It was 5 in the morning and we were under attack'

Cyber army

Reached late Thursday night in Ukraine, Aushev said he already had received hundreds of applicants and was going to begin vetting to ensure that none of them were Russian agents.

"We have an army inside our country," Aushev said.

Another person directly involved in the effort confirmed that the request came from the Defense Ministry but ministry representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

On Wednesday, a newly discovered piece of destructive software was found circulating in Ukraine, hitting hundreds of computers, according to researchers at the cybersecurity firm ESET.

Suspicion fell on Russia, which has repeatedly been accused of hacks against Ukraine and other countries.

The victims included government agencies and a financial institution, Reuters previously reported.

Russia has denied the allegations.

In a 2015 cyberattack, widely attributed to Russian state hackers, 225,000 Ukrainians lost electricity.

 

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UKRAINE: The Greek who became viral after calmly broadcasting developments in Kyiv

(VIDEO) by ATHENS BUREAU


The semiology of situation testifies to the vortex of dramatic geopolitical developments as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, and yet, a Greek managed to become viral amongst all this.

Independence Square in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv is under siege as the city has been put under a state of emergency.

The sirens that sound in the early morning in the city betray the prevailing instability, as seen in the video by Greek expatriate Tassos Tsiamis who lives in Kyiv.

However, he appears cool in the centre of the capital and tries not to panic when he hears the “drums” of war.



The Greek, who lives permanently in Kyiv, went viral thanks to the calm with which he transmitted the events.



The fact that the Ukrainian capital is on a dry threshold can be seen from the first seconds you watch videos of the area.

Roads are deserted, people – as is the case in emergencies – are called to go to safety and the fear is palpable.

The atmosphere in Kyiv was dark and heavy after the first bombs sounded, signaling a state of generalised conflict.

In a state of utter insecurity, the Ukrainian people fear for every minute that passes as dozens are killed, among them civilians.

At the same time, the Kyiv airport is under occupation while the military intelligence building is on fire.

After the dramatic sermon of Vladimir Putin, which gave the green light for war, Russian military boots sound not only in the east of Ukraine, but even in the north of the country.

The West is watching developments with apprehension, has put a strong package of sanctions on the table, and its leaders are engaging in talks that testify to the diplomatic fever that has peaked.

In a move aimed at boosting a sense of patriotic conscience, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calls on the citizens of his country not to be left with folded arms and to throw themselves into a battle.

The agony of the 100,000+ Greeks of Ukraine

by GUEST CONTRIBUTOR


Between the hammer and the anvil are the 100,000 Greeks of Ukraine, who are suffering again since after the mutilation they suffered in 2014, and are now called to face the rapid developments that are taking place since Vladimir Putin’s speech.

The Russian-Ukrainian crisis has already divided Hellenism into three as the Greeks of Ukraine have a different political position, depending on where they are, and not only.

Officially, whether they agree or not, they express the position of Ukraine but also of Greece – which naturally follows the position of the West.

Many appear willing to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity if requested.

In the Donbass region, which Putin recognised as ‘independent’ a few hours ago, some Greeks are in favour of joining Russia or in favour of regional autonomy.

Of course, it is completely impossible to know whether these views are expressed under the fear of the pro-Russian separatists.

The Greek element of Ukraine exceeds 100,000 Greeks at the moment.

In particular, in Eastern Ukraine, a visitor sees hundreds of shops and houses with Greek flags – many streets have Greek names.

They have a love for Greece, although many have never visited, it is difficult to describe.

The presence of the Greeks in Ukraine begins in antiquity and continued in Byzantium.

The Greeks founded Mariupol, and gave it the name after the Virgin Mary.

From the 18th century, the Greek element grows in language schools, clubs, theatres and newspapers.

The university has a Chair of Greek Language.



At the same time, the Greek villages in the area exceed 40, while the Friendly Society, which will play an important role in the course of the Greek Revolution, was founded in Odessa.

The first blow to the Hellenism of the region came in 1917, with the Bolshevik revolution, while the second was during the Stalin period with thousands of persecutions and executions, especially in 1937-1938.

The recovery of the Greek element began with the fall of the Soviet Union,

Today in the schools, but also in the Greek hospital of the area that serves the villages around Mariupol, there are instructions in case of bombings.

Young people of Greek origin in Mariupol have been facing the threat of war for years, a uncertainty that has devastated the region’s economy.

The city hall was leveled in 2014 and remains a ruin that reminds the visitor of the possibility of a generalised conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

In the current emergency situation, many Ukrainian Greeks who immigrated to Ukraine in recent decades have moved further west, as early as 2014.

Many have since been trapped in the autonomous regions or Crimea and have had no choice in the new conditions, while the benefits and higher pensions promised by Putin served as a lure and complacency for the local population.

With the resurgence of the crisis, some company executives and seconded Greek government employees, such as teachers, have returned to Greece in recent weeks, although the number is relatively small.

The vast majority do not intend to move – this happens for a number of reasons.

Initially, many of them have never come to our homeland, especially young people, even though they are of Greek origin.



Others do not speak our language and feel insecure as they say.

Most, because there was no need, do not have Greek citizenship or Greek passports, a process that is quite time consuming and requires many months and special examinations.

It is worth emphasising how the vast majority of Greeks have roots in the region for centuries that go beyond even the very establishment of the Greek state.

So, it seems extremely difficult for them to leave their property and their homes in a generalised conflict and they prefer to resort to shelters, rather than come to Greece.

The attitude of the Greek government was lightning fast, after the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias visited the region and stressed in his meeting with his Russian counterpart, the need to preserve the security of the Greek community.

At the same time, special plans have been drafted for the region, while all scenarios for the Hellenism of the region were re-examined.

What has surprised the Greek minority is the fact that Greece is the only country that increases its presence in the region, while other countries have already diplomatically left eastern Ukraine, or even the entire country.

A few days ago, Greece appointed a Consul General in Mariupol, accompanied by our former Ambassador to Ukraine, while increasing the diplomatic staff.

This symbolised the decision of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias to strengthen Greece in the region and solidarity with the Greek community.

While all the others leave, Greece is strengthened and stands by the Greek Diaspora.

* Nikos Theodoropoulos is an economist, Head of Diaspora Affairs for the ruling New Democracy and was recently in Ukraine.

READ MORE: Ukraine does not consider Greeks to be indigenous to the country.