Large anti-war protest on Syntagma Square central Athens

Thousands of people gathered in Greece’s capital on Tuesday afternoon to protest against the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and express their solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

The rally on Athens’ Syntagma Square was organized by independent citizens on social media, who invited “the friends of freedom and democracy in our country, of all nationalities, to demonstrate against the barbaric Russian invasion of Ukraine and in favor of the resistance of the Ukrainian people.”

According to information, by 6.30 p.m. the square was already full of people waving Ukrainian flags and holding placards and signs with slogans such as “Stop the war,” “Stop Putin,” and calling for an end to hostilities. The Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, is also in attendance.

A video was shown with a message from Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik who thanked every protestor, described Ukraine as “the shield of Europe” and added that “what hurts her the most is that there will now be a new generation of Ukrainians who will know what war is.”

Solidarity gathering for Ukraine held in central Athens on Tuesday evening

“Stop Putin, stop the war, we want peace,” chanted the protesters in the gathering, holding Ukrainian flags, flowers and signs calling for the end of Russian military operations in Ukraine.

According to the organizers’ call on social media, the rally was “an initiative of independent citizens who call on friends of freedom and democracy in our country, of all nationalities, to protest against the barbaric Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in favor of its heroic resistance by the Ukrainian people.”

The gathering was attended by Greek Deputy Tourism Minister Sofia Zacharaki and Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis.

In a smaller protest in Thessaloniki, Ukrainians who live in the city gathered for a second day on Aristotelous square to ask for an end to war and Greek support for Ukraine.

Greek and Cypriot nationals transferred to Greece from Bucharest after Odessa and Kiev, says FM

A group of 50 Greek and Cypriot nationals and members of their families were transferred to Greece from Bucharest on a special charter flight, said the Greek Foreign Affairs Ministry on Tuesday evening.

These people had all been removed away from danger in the cities of Odessa and Kiev on Monday, it was noted.

Greek government, Hellenic Police to facilitate entry of Ukrainian refugees, says T. Theodorikakos

The Greek government and the Hellenic Police will facilitate the entry of Ukrainian refugees into the country, in close cooperation with the Ukrainian embassy, Citizen Protection Minister Takis Theodorikakos told SKAI radio on Tuesday.

At the same time, “all security measures have been taken at the country’s entry points and also at critical targets,” he added.

“So far, about 1,500 Ukrainian citizens have entered the country, holding passports with biometric specs,” he noted, and he added that “all these people have relatives, friends and acquaintances in Greece.”

“We will also facilitate the entry of families with children, always on the condition that a representative of the Ukrainian embassy will participate in order to secure and identify every person who enters Greek territory,” he underlined, and said that preparations are currently underway by the ministry of migration to secure accomodation for these refugees.