“Support Ukraine” shouted Ukrainian demonstrators at noon in Aristotle Square, on the occasion of an event organized for the two years since the Russian invasion of their country and for the ten years since the annexation of Crimea.
Demonstrators held their country’s flags and anti-war placards and called for support for their country, while singing patriotic songs and singing their national anthem.
The Consul of Ukraine in Thessaloniki
“The truth is that the war in Ukraine has been going on for ten years, not two years. It’s been two years since a full-scale invasion took place,” said Ukraine’s consul in Thessaloniki Yvhen Shkvyra, adding: “Today, we are here to support the Ukrainian community, which is organizing this event to draw public attention to what is happening today in Ukraine. For the fact that Ukraine is fighting, fighting every day and trying to resist an insidious and bloody war, launched by Russia against our people and our state.”
“Also, we want to ask for the support of our friends, from Greece which supports us throughout time and with which we have historical ties” added the Ukrainian consul.
Mr. Shkvyra also thanked the representatives of the authorities, as well as foreign diplomatic authorities in the city, the United States, France, Germany, Albania and Bulgaria for the support to his country.
The events of support for Ukraine are organized by the Consulate of Ukraine in Thessaloniki, the Association “Ukrainian-Greek Initiative”, the “Union of Ukrainian Greeks in Greece” and the “Citizens’ Initiative of Thessaloniki Against the Invasion”.
Thessaloniki: Protest of Ukrainian refugees in Aristotelous Square for the Russian invasion (photo) pic.twitter.com/qkJaQrzVfW
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Statements by the Mayor, officials and solidarity movements
“It is a day of sadness, contemplation and reflection, after World War II, Europe is once again experiencing the history of a war, and indeed in its heart,” said the mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis, and added: “I think the time has come to ask all its states Europe and the whole world to stop this unjust invasion and restore peace to this friendly country, Ukraine.”
“You belong to Europe and we will support you no matter how long it takes,” said the consul general of Germany in Thessaloniki, Sibylla Bendik, representing the diplomats present and addressing the Ukrainian protesters.
“I was born in Mariupol, they destroyed our buildings and not only ours, the Greek ones” emphasized the president of the Union of Ukrainian Greeks in Greece Alexandra Prochenko-Pitsatzi and added “We did not believe that a Slavic country would go to destroy another Slavic country.”
Referring to the Russian invasion, the representative of the “Citizens’ Initiative of Thessaloniki against the Invasion”, Paraskevas Paraskevopoulos, spoke of “an unprovoked invasion of an independent country” and “stabs in the back against Ukraine, Europe, the UN and International Law” , emphasizing that thousands are dead and millions are refugees of the ongoing war.
“Our support for Ukraine must be practical and wholehearted,” added another representative of the initiative, publisher Petros Papasarandopoulos.
At half past four in the afternoon, a memorial service has been planned, in the metropolitan church of Gregory of Palamas, for the victims of the war.
Source: RES-MPE
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