Greece andUkraine have deep ties due toOrthodox Christianity and enjoy strong diplomatic relations, due to Greece’s active diplomatic support for Ukraine over theAnnexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.[1] Greece is also one of the main supporters of Ukraine’s entry into theEuropean Union andNATO.[2] Greece recognized Ukraine on December 31, 1991. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Greece opened an embassy inKyiv in 1993, general-consulates were set up inMariupol andOdesa. Ukraine has opened an embassy in Athens and since April 2004 a general-consulate inThessaloniki.[3]Both countries are full members of theOrganization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and of theOrganization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation. There is a largeGreek community living in Ukraine (mostly in the southern and eastern regions of the nation). Ukraine was first settled by the Greeks as early as 500 B.C. The Ukrainian city ofOdesa (among others) was founded by ancient Greek colonists, being also the place where theFiliki Eteria secret organization was founded. Greece is a member of theEuropean Union andNATO, which Ukraine applied for in 2022.
Illumination of the building of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Greece, on the day of the 2nd anniversary of the invasion of Russia in Ukraine.
Several of the cities in southern and eastern Ukraine were given Greek names toward the end of the 18th century, due to Russia having sought to tap into the respectability of ancient Greek heritage in the Black Sea after having acquired the northern territories controlled by Turkey through the 1774Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca.[6]
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