NIKI expresses its deep concern and indignation over the government’s inadequate care for the Greek diaspora in Russia and in the regions of Mariupol, Donetsk, and the Azov area, where Hellenism has maintained a presence for centuries.
Hundreds of thousands of Greeks abroad are confronted with war, forced displacement, economic hardship, and cultural isolation. Yet Athens confines itself to piecemeal initiatives and rhetorical declarations of support, without a comprehensive plan of assistance and protection. This policy has fostered an image of abandonment of the diaspora, at a time when other nations consistently stand by their populations abroad.
It is true that some steps have been taken—such as the pledge to rebuild the Mariupol maternity hospital three years ago, the summer hosting of children from Odessa, and the support of educational exchanges and Greek language courses. Yet these remain isolated initiatives, largely symbolic, and fail to address the vital issues of survival and future prospects for the diaspora.
Although the Greek communities in Russia still maintain living ties to the Greek language, culture, and identity through associations and cultural centers, there is a strong sense of abandonment by the Greek State. Without a structured support program for housing, healthcare, employment, or consular services, the Greek communities in Russia are essentially left adrift, while official statements remain symbolic, lacking substantive measures to relieve their needs.
NIKI calls for immediate action:
A special, comprehensive support program for Greeks in Russia, the Azov area, and Donetsk, including concrete measures for housing, employment, and medical care for the displaced.
Reinforcement of consular services in Odessa and Moscow, as well as in Mariupol when circumstances permit. Although a General Consulate of Mariupol exists on paper, its operations are effectively suspended due to wartime conditions, leaving Greeks there without genuine diplomatic coverage.
Sustained cultural and educational support, including organized instruction in the Greek language, the strengthening of Greek schools, and financial support for communities and associations.
Special repatriation measures for those wishing to return to Greece, with dignified accommodation and genuine social integration. To date, no such organized plan has been presented.
Diplomatic initiatives at the European and international level to ensure that the rights of the Greek minority are finally placed firmly on the agenda of all negotiations.
The Greek diaspora cannot be left to its fate. It is the duty of the State to stand firmly by our compatriots in their time of trial.
At a time when Turkey speaks of a “Turkish minority” in Thrace, Albanians of “Chameria” in Epirus, and Skopje advances irredentist claims in Macedonia, Greece cannot remain inactive toward our brothers and sisters in the Azov and Donetsk regions who are suffering under the barbarity of war. Silence and inertia amount to complicity in the erasure of a historic center of Hellenism.
Sector of “Vouleftirion” for the Greek Diaspora of NIKI
