Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has defended his country’s support for Ukraine, drawing a parallel between Russia’s invasion and Turkey’s continued occupation of northern Cyprus.

In a post on social media, Mitsotakis responded to criticism over Greece’s stance on the war in Ukraine, stating that those who accuse Athens of aligning with the West are effectively asking Greeks to forget the trauma of the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

“Those who accuse us of supporting Ukraine, as the entire West has done — with the exception of a few admirers of revisionism — are the same ones who, with their stance, ask us to forget the trauma of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus,” he said.

He questioned whether critics would also suggest that Greece accept the “fait accomplis of the illegal Turkish invasion,” or legitimise “illegal claims and challenges to our sovereign rights.”

“Kiev is not far away. And in any case, not far enough from what is happening in our region,” Mitsotakis added.

The Greek Prime Minister reiterated that his country stands by international law and cannot accept the changing of borders by force as a precedent.

“We support an immediate ceasefire and the provision of strong security guarantees to Ukraine, so that it is able to defend its sovereignty and prevent any future aggression,” he said.