Saturday, December 21, 2024

Greek PM's visit to Ukraine

Version 6: Sat, Dec 21, 2024

Mitsotakis and Zelenskyy

Image source: primeminister.gr

This post started as a comment on the PM visit to Ukraine in 2024 but has changed to a ongoing commentary on foreign policy and its effects on other matters. Our foreign policy is based on the doctrine “Greece belongs to the West” and as the times are changing it becomes increasingly problematic to belong to something that is becoming unhinged.

The visit

Early March 2024, the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Ukraine ad met with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy: the official ‘breezy’ description, and reports by BBC and Le Monde, AP and AFP

Politics aside I hope the Greek PM is always “safe and sound”. He has a responsibility not just to himself and his family but also to the country that voted for him to avoid situations in which his life is in danger.

What are the Russians supposed to do, keep track of who is viiting Ukraine and stop their war efforts accordingly? It is the responsibility of whoever visits to judge whether the visit is appropriate and avoid the risk.

The visit was a great opportunity for grandstanding: “European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on social media she strongly condemned ‘the vile attack on Odessa’ during the leaders’ visit.” Two days later The Greek PM endorsed Ursula von der Leyen for a new term as President of the European Commission. Ursula von der Leyen Parliament was re-elected as Commission President on July 19.

Immediate reasons not to go to Ukraine

Suppression of political freedoms

Numerous reports on political suppression in Ukraine. Vasyl Muravytskyi’s case is indicative:

“There is no freedom of speech whatsoever in Ukraine”, says dissident journalist Vasyl Muravytskyi

Pascal Lottaz, Associate Professor for Neutrality Studies at Kyoto University’s Faculty of Law and Hakubi Center, whose YouTube channel I strongly recommend you follow, has published a fascinating video interview with a Ukrainian dissident journalist in exile, Vasyl Muravytskyi.

Muravytskyi, who had written several critical reports of the post-Euromaidan Ukrainian regime and its handling of the civil war in Ukraine, was arrested in August 2017 by Ukrainian law enforcement and charged with high treason, threatening the territorial integrity of Ukraine, inciting hatred, and even participating in a terrorist organisation. He spent 11 months in prison.

Suppression of religious freedoms

Greece needs to oppose the Ukrainian government’s persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and differentiate our foreign policy from the clearly globalist orientation of Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and his support of the schismatic “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”:

Greek minority in Ukraine

Even though Greeks have been living in the area for thousands of years successive Ukrainian governments have failed to recognize Greeks as a legitimate minority and allow the use of our language in schools.

This is important because it underlines the problem of the so called Ukrainian identity including the credible proposition that it was in part the result of Austro-Hungarian foreign policy.

Hence the PM by not raising the issue of the recognition of Greek minority contributes to a long running problem in Ukraine.

Corruption in Ukraine

There is extensive corruption in Ukraine and deserves its own blog post.

Here is what we wrote in an earlier version of this post before the US election:

The corruption involves US politicians too. That means in case of political change in the US leadership after the upcoming November 2024 elections, there bound to be substantial changes in US policy towards Ukraine.

It is in our interest not to take sides on this issue.

One of the reasons Joe Biden was defenestrated was his son’s involvement in the Burisma case. Because Biden has since pardoned his son and because of the involvement of former CIA officer Joseph Cofer Black in the Burisma board the legal case will probably not continue.

Trump has won but given his proposed candidates for various positions there is even more reason to be sceptical of US foreign policy and consider alternatives.

Towards a pragmatic foreign policy

Another name for ‘pragmatic’ is to aim for a flexible foreign policy. As Jon Henley put it:

‘West v rest’ no longer seen as template for global alliances, survey finds. Research in 21 countries suggests a growing ‘a la carte’ approach where states ‘mix and match’ partners on different issues

A good example is Italy: Italy was part of BRI until late 2023. The Italian government under pressure decided not to renew. But in July Meloni visited China

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy, as well as the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo, a messenger of cultural exchange between East and West.

met with Xi despite western pressures.

Keep in mind that our relationship with Russia goes back centuries before there was even a US, even before America was discovered. By now [December 2024] it is clear that Russia has the upper hand in the war and has survived the western sanctions, and furthermore with China, India and other counries are working for the establishment of an alternative to the western influence.

A closer look at the Greek PM

A number of people reportedly influence the Greek PM mostly in his immediate family environment:

  • Sister Dora Bakoyannis, a politician in her own right, and former mayor of Athens
  • Kostas Bakoyannis, son of Dora and also former mayor of Athens
  • Sia Kosioni, wife of Kostas and main eveing news presenter at SKAI News
  • Wife Mareva Grabowski
  • Alexis Papahelas, journalist, former member of the Trilateral Commission
  • Niki Kerameus, government minister
  • The Quiet American: Uknown advisor, possibly American have been mentioned in Greek media but have not been able to verify name so I borrow the title from the 1955 novel by English author Graham Greene

More information in a future version of this post.

Sources, References and Notes

(Atlantic 2024) The 2024 Global Citizen Awards: Honoring four leaders who are shaping the world ahead https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/the-2024-global-citizen-awards-honoring-four-leaders-who-are-shaping-the-world-ahead-2/ Atlantic Council - September 24, 2024 - Archive: https://archive.ph/lZXFZ

(EU Parliament 2024) Parliament re-elects Ursula von der Leyen as Commission President https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240710IPR22812/parliament-re-elects-ursula-von-der-leyen-as-commission-president

(Fazi 2024-08) Ukrainian dissident reveals brutal censorship and repression by the Kyiv regime by Thomas Fazi - Aug 08, 2024 https://www.thomasfazi.com/p/ukrainian-dissident-reveals-brutal

(Greece PM 2024) Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ visit to Odessa and his meeting with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy - 6 March 2024 https://www.primeminister.gr/en/2024/03/06/33782

(Le Monde 2024) Zelensky and Greek prime minister’s Odesa visit rocked by a blast - Le Monde with AP and AFP - March 6, 2024 “The blast, a large explosion that the Russian military claimed as an attack on a hangar ‘in which crewless cutters were being prepared for combat use,’ was described as ‘a very intense experience’ by visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.” https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/03/06/zelensky-and-greece-s-prime-minister-visited-odesa-as-it-was-rocked-by-a-blast_6592568_4.html

(Wright 2024) Ukraine war: Explosions hit Odesa as Zelensky meets Greek PM, By George Wright, BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68492688

(Global Times 2024) Meloni’s visit to China ‘timely,’ pushing China-Italy ties to a new stage: Chinese Ambassador to Italy East and West, by Zhao Yusha and Bai Yunyi - Global Times - Aug 18, 2024 - https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202408/1318223.shtml - Archive: https://archive.ph/ogWTl

Before presenting the prime minister with the award, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla—a 2021 recipient of the Atlantic Council’s Distinguished Leadership Award—said that Mitsotakis’s impact reaches beyond Greece, throughout Europe, and across the transatlantic alliance. He praised Mitsotakis for being “a rising voice for peace and equity” globally and “a visionary champion of a new era of economic prosperity.”

(Henley 2023) Opinion: In our new world disorder, the old bipolar frames of reference won’t get us anywhere by by Jon Henley - Guardian - 15 Nov 2023 - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/14/west-v-rest-no-longer-seen-as-template-for-global-alliances-survey-finds Archive: https://archive.ph/CCKZh

(China MFA 2024) Xi Jinping Meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The People’s Republic of China - July 29, 2024 - https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xw/zyxw/202408/t20240801_11464759.html - Archive: https://archive.ph/kjJvD

Blog Pages

File: Ukraine https://metagora.blogspot.com/2024/07/file-ukraine.html

Corruption in Ukraine https://metagora.blogspot.com/2024/03/file-corruption-in-ukraine.html

To Do:

  • Section on economy and foreign policy
  • former PM Tsipras visit to Ukraine in 2017
  • Patelis, Samaras and ‘Lentil Patriots’
  • the theology of the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine
  • Mike Pompeo mingling in Greek affairs
  • …

Started: Wed, Apr 24, 2024

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