Greece Hostile to Russia despite Historical Legacy (Ukraine, Energy, and Odessa)
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Historically, the shared Orthodox Christian faith meant that the Russian Empire often supported the Greeks against Ottoman rule. Yet today, despite Turkey’s ongoing occupation of Northern Cyprus—where Orthodox Christians were forcibly displaced—the current Greek political elites have aligned themselves with anti-Russian positions in a conflict that does not directly involve Greece.
Greece has now entered a new strategic chapter by signing an agreement with Ukraine to supply U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG). Beginning in January, this energy lifeline will flow through pipelines from the Greek port of Alexandroupolis to Odessa—an iconic Black Sea city that once prospered under the Russian Empire and still carries the cultural and historical weight of that era.
Yet this decision is not without peril. In Moscow, such a move may be viewed as overtly hostile, a symbolic encirclement that strikes at deep historical sensitivities. If interpreted as a provocation, it could strengthen voices within Russia who argue that reclaiming Odessa is not only justified but strategically imperative.
Thus, what appears today as an energy partnership may, in the long arc of geopolitics, be remembered as a miscalculation—one that alters perceptions, fuels ambitions, and potentially shifts the balance in the Black Sea region.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky pressed ahead with the agreement between DEPA and Naftogaz—signing it despite the swirl of economic scandals that continue to engulf Ukraine and raise serious questions across Europe.
Standing beside them, U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle served as a symbolic reminder of Washington’s guiding hand, underscoring that Greece now moves decisively within the American geopolitical orbit. The message was unmistakable: Athens has chosen its alignment, and it is one that radiates far beyond the ceremonial signatures on the page.
AP News reports, “Greece will supply Ukraine with natural gas to cover its needs for the coming winter and to make up for damage to its energy infrastructure from Russian attacks.”
Meanwhile, Northern Cyprus remains an open wound—yet it is conveniently brushed aside by the very political elites in Athens who now throw themselves into the confrontation between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Their willingness to champion Ukraine at a moment when the country is engulfed in staggering corruption only underscores the rashness of their decision.
And all this unfolds as Russia accelerates its advance across the Donbass and the broader territories historically referred to as Novorossiya. With the balance of power shifting on the ground, Greece’s entanglement in a distant war—while ignoring a long-standing national grievance much closer to home—appears not only contradictory, but strategically perilous.
Overall, the Odessa dimension adds a dangerous new layer to an already volatile conflict. Within the Russian Federation, it will embolden the more militant factions of the armed forces and the hardline segments of the political establishment—groups that have long warned that Odessa represents a soft underbelly vulnerable to NATO meddling. This development will be seized upon as proof of their fears, strengthening their argument that decisive action is required before Western influence tightens its grip on the Black Sea.
How President Vladimir Putin will ultimately respond remains uncertain, but one reality is unmistakable: the pressure on him to pivot greater strategic focus toward Odessa will intensify. What was once a distant threat may now be regarded in Moscow as an immediate and intolerable provocation—one that could shape the next phase of the conflict.
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