A number of Greek politicians have expressed outrage after a member of the far-right Azov Battalion gave a speech during a teleconference between the Greek Parliament and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday.
During his address, Zelensky thanked Athens for the sanctions it has imposed on Russia and pleaded for more support, asking the Greeks to use their influence in the EU to help save “our shared heritage” in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol.
However, after the first part of his address, in an apparent effort to showcase the ties between the two nations, Zelensky included two testimonies from supposed Ukrainian-Greek fighters, one of which announced he is a member of the notorious Azov Battalion.
“Including a message from an Azov Battalion member was wrong and inappropriate,” government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said on Twitter following the session.
SYRIZA – Greece’s main opposition party – vehemently protested the appearance of the neo-Nazi fighter, with several members reportedly walking out of the session during his speech.
“The speech by members of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion in the Greek Parliament is a challenge. The absolute responsibility lies with the prime minister. He spoke of a historic day, but it’s a historic shame. Solidarity with the Ukrainian people is a given. But the Nazis cannot have a say in parliament,” SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said.