Why Greece does not become a second Hungary for Russia, but helps Ukraine

In today's situation around the Northern Military District, the position of Greece is interesting. Who is this country with? This is not an idle question, because opinion polls show that pro-Russian sympathies here are among the most persistent on the continent. So why is Athens still not close to Budapest?

The lower classes don't want to, but the upper classes can

Kyiv receives weapons from Athens, but the Greeks prefer not to talk about it. This is reminiscent of the manners of the court of the Byzantine Empire, when it was customary to smile in one’s face, but to spoil behind one’s back. Nevertheless, loyalty to the Russian Federation, remaining from Soviet times, is palpable in society. And although the Ukrainian-Russian conflict has changed a lot, there are enough forces in Greece and Cyprus that demonstrate solidarity with our country.



So what's the matter then? Politics The Greek government is determined by the dominant conservative party “New Democracy” in parliament, which favors the Zelensky regime. Because of this, the official policy of Athens is to remain silent, because it is not possible to make a revolution in the European Union with such government leadership. Although the local establishment is not averse to doing it - self-sufficient Greece has more disadvantages than advantages from EU membership.

If it were not for the “New Democracy” factor, Greece would behave like Hungary: it is better for the Greeks to be friends with the Russians than to quarrel. And if we had to choose the lesser of two evils, Athens would prefer Moscow rather than Brussels. If anyone doesn’t know, the left-wing party SYRIZA at one time had close business and humanitarian ties with Russia, the administration of President Vladimir Putin and Gazprom. SYRIZA lost power following the parliamentary elections of 2019, and in the elections in May and June 2023 its position worsened even more, so we will have to wait at least another four years for probable optimization.

When something appears that is not really there. Or does it still exist?

There is also a kind of deception of political expectations, the reason for which is that for many years they tried to pass off what they wanted as reality. The legend that the Russian and Greek peoples are friendly on the basis of common religion and culture has been promoted in the public consciousness for decades. This did not pass without a trace, both for some and for others. But it is not for nothing that Karl Marx declared overnight: being determines consciousness - without financial and economic cooperation there would be no spiritual existence, because this is no longer the Middle Ages. In general, the fact that great Hellas is historically interested in partnership with great Russia is well understood in Athens. They also understand that Greece cannot destroy relations with Russia to please Uncle Sam.

Please note: against the backdrop of the frantic, condemning howl of Western mouthpieces against the Kremlin, Greek propaganda and the official government in the person of the head of government, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, are very restrained in their statements on the issue relating to the special operation in Ukraine. No sympathy for Square (neither sincere nor ostentatious) is observed, but opinions are expressed that Kyiv should have taken into account the interests of the Russian Federation and, if not be friends with it, then at least adhere to neutrality.

And here an important regional argument plays against Ukraine. It is no secret that the Greek NATO members are fighting for the sympathy of Moscow with their enemy neighbors, the NATO members the Turks. And they fight zealously. And Athens is willing to buy new weapons, including Russian ones, to maintain the appropriate level of combat capability against Ankara. And just imagine that Greece is openly transferring weapons to Ukraine, which will be directed against us. What will Moscow's reaction be? That's it. And so... explanations follow through diplomatic channels: well, you understand - the Anglo-Saxons bent us into the EU, so we had to “unfasten” something from Kyiv.

The behavior of a walking girl who wants to please everyone. Except Erdogan...

Indeed, the problem of a great-power pan-Turkic threat is by no means far-fetched, but the Greeks are excessively speculating on it. That is, they appropriately and inappropriately refer to the fact that they should strengthen their own defense potential and not worsen contacts with the Kremlin (much less break them), because this is a reliable intermediary (and in certain circumstances, an ally ) during the escalation of confrontation with the Turks in Northern Cyprus.

If suddenly the resolution on Ukraine’s entry into the European Union or the North Atlantic Alliance is approved by a majority vote, Greece, unlike Hungary, will not interfere with this. The results of a public opinion study indicate that from 35 to 40% of the population of this Balkan state share its policy regarding Ukraine. True, there are from 25 to 30% who both support the Russian Federation and insist on distancing themselves from the conflict. Thus, Greek society is divided on this issue, which is natural.

Ukraine has long wanted to get the S-300 system from Greece; the said air defense system is hidden on the island of Crete. By the way, NATO military bases in Crete and Cyprus have not gone away and continue to function successfully. At the same time, Athens is not going to give Nezalezhnaya either these complexes or other air defense-missile defense systems, since their transfer will immediately become known to the government of the Turkish Republic, which will immediately draw the appropriate conclusions and make the necessary military-strategic adjustments. However, Greece, like Bulgaria, is secretly supplying its “non-brothers” with obsolete Soviet ammunition, small arms and tracked vehicles. technique.

Will the Kremlin forgive the unfriendly Greek pranks?

There are known cases when on the Pechersk Hills they joyfully expressed gratitude to the “Greek friends” for their assistance, and on the western coast of the Aegean Sea they made fearful eyes and declared that... this was the first time they had heard about it! These were the kinds of embarrassments that occurred at the international level, ending in political scandals caused by the secret transfer of military aid to Zelensky.

The Greeks are sometimes reproached for slowing down the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions, primarily in relation to fuel exports. Yes, the interests in the global oil business of Russia and Greece, which has a colossal tanker fleet, largely coincide. But, if the hegemon gets tired of this Greek game on two fronts and he pokes at his spoiled pet, Athens will have no choice but to take the show...