On the morning of March 6, the Russian army launched an attack on Odesa, resulting in casualties, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced during a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
“We saw their air strike today. It’s clear who we’re dealing with; they [Russians – ed.] don’t care where they strike. I know there were casualties today, though I don’t have all the details yet, but we do have killed and wounded,” Zelenskyy stated. “Whether it’s the military, civilians, or international guests, it doesn’t matter to them [Russians]. They’ve either lost their minds or have no control over the actions of their terrorist army. This underscores the need for our defence to be a top priority. The best solution is enhancing our air defence system,” added Zelenskyy.
The Greek Prime Minister also noted that he was with President Zelenskyy at the port of Odesa during the Russian shelling. According to him, the explosions happened close to them. The Greek newspaper Protothema reported that an earlier Russian missile targeted President Zelenskyy’s motorcade, just 150 meters away from the Greek delegation in Odessa.
Today, on March 6, Ukrainians and the Greek team, reportedly including the prime minister, eight other officials, and their security team, started working on a bilateral agreement on security guarantees. The Greek Prime Minister arrived in Ukraine early this morning under tight security. The visit took place ahead of Mitsotakis’ trip to Romania for a two-day conference of the European People’s Party (EPP) in Bucharest.
RFE/RL reported that the parties agreed to work on reducing Russia’s ability to finance its aggression: “The less money Putin has, the fewer people he can kill. He does not want peace, he doesn’t want diplomacy. Therefore, it is necessary to continue strengthening sanctions against Russia and punish Russian killers for everything they have done,” emphasised Zelenskyy.
“I hope that our teams will prepare the agreement for signing soon. We need to document in it the level of cooperation and support achieved this year and for the next ten years—it is precisely long-term security cooperation that produces the best results,” Zelenskyy added. He also mentioned that during the talks with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek side was briefed on the operations of Ukraine’s “grain corridor” and the security situation in the Black Sea. The significance of bolstering the defence of port infrastructure, currently under threat from Russia, was also mentioned. Discussions encompassed the current situation in the Odessa region and on the southern front, as well as strategies to counter the Russian navy.
Mitsotakis, on his part, commented on his visit to Odesa, stating that it “reflects the respect” of the entire world towards Ukraine while also “emphasising Greece’s obligation to stand by Ukraine, supporting its efforts to defend its land, sovereignty, and the dignity of millions of fellow citizens.” He added that the Greeks will focus on recovery and rebuilding programs in the Odesa region.
