ΕΑΝ ΠΡΟΤΙΜΑΤΕ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ ΠΑΤΗΣΤΕ ΤΗ ΣΗΜΑΙΑ ΣΤΟ ΚΑΤΩ ΜΕΡΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΟΘΟΝΗΣ
By emphasizing “hope” and sidestepping any legal assessment of Maduro’s abduction, Mitsotakis has sent a dangerous signal that international law is negotiable — undermining Greece’s own long-standing arguments on sovereignty, and inviting applause from geopolitical adversaries at a time when legal consistency is essential for Athens.
By Nick Stamatakis
“This is not the time to comment on the legality of the recent actions.”
With this single sentence, Kyriakos Mitsotakis chose to suspend the very principle on which Greece depends for its security, diplomacy, and historical claims: international law.
That sentence appeared in his public statement following the abduction of Nicolás Maduro, an act carried out through the use of force and outside any recognized legal framework. Mitsotakis went further, describing the outcome as a source of “hope,” while explicitly declining to assess legality. This was not ambiguous. It was an endorsement—paired with a conscious refusal to apply legal judgment.
For a Greek prime minister, this is not merely a misstep. It is a strategic contradiction.
Only months earlier, Mitsotakis had taken a radically different tone when addressing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Then, international law was not optional. Sovereignty was not relative. Territorial integrity was not subject to political convenience. Greece, he insisted, stood on the side of the UN Charter and against any attempt to change borders or governments by force.
That position was existentially necessary for Greece, even though it ignored Russia’s vital interests in neighboring Ukraine (practically non-existent in America’s blockade/sanctions and attack of Venezuela).
Yet in the Venezuelan case, legality suddenly became untimely, even inconvenient. The same prime minister who warned that aggression anywhere threatens order everywhere now implied that outcomes can precede rules—as long as the target is sufficiently unpopular.
This double standard is not an abstraction. It has concrete consequences.
Greece is not a great power that can afford selective legality. It is a country whose core national arguments—above all on Cyprus—rest on the absolute rejection of faits accomplis created by force. For fifty years, Greece and the Republic of Cyprus have insisted that invasion does not create rights, that occupation cannot be legitimized by time, and that international law is not a menu from which states may choose.
That is why it was no coincidence that Mitsotakis’s statement was welcomed and applauded in Turkey—a country which, half a century later, still illegally occupies nearly half of Cyprus. When Ankara argues that “realities on the ground” must eventually be accepted, it is making the same argument Mitsotakis implicitly validated: that legality can wait, and outcomes matter more than rules.
Equally telling was the international reaction. Mitsotakis stood alone among European leaders in applauding the result of Maduro’s abduction. His statement provoked exceptionally harsh criticism in Venezuela, precisely because it appeared to legitimize regime change by force. Greece gained no strategic leverage from this isolation—only reputational damage.
This is not realism. It is a self-inflicted vulnerability.
International law is not a moral luxury for Greece; it is a shield. Every time Athens weakens that shield—by treating legality as conditional—it weakens its own position in future crises, whether in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Aegean, or Cyprus.
A Greek prime minister does not have the privilege of selective principle. When legality is abandoned “for now,” it is abandoned for everyone—and Greece will be among the first to pay the price.
January 6, 2026, n.stamatakis@aol.com www.helleniscope.com
DISCLAIMER: The views and statements expressed in this article constitute constitutionally protected opinions of this author.
All Greek governments are consistent in one thing. Supporting Washington’s policies all the time. One predecessor of Mitsotakis, Costas Simitis colluded in the kidnapping of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. That same Simitis supported the Annan Plan for Cyprus which the Cypriots rejected.
All Greek governments try to dress themselves up under the cover of international law and democracy. While Greece’s leaders are elected their ultimate loyalties are to everyone except the Hellenic nation. Mitsotakis is supporting the US as most of his predecessors have done.
In the end, this slavish obedience to Washington has not produced any successful outcomes in Cyprus, the Aegean, or any national issue.
Obviously Mitsotakis displays a careless disregard and ignorance of his own nation – he seems to be a useful idiot for many special interests both domestic and international – that is all he is – a oligarchic puppet. At the other end of the political spectrum we see a true leader of his people — Orbán and his savvy government rhetoric framed the U.S. military operation as evidence that the liberal world order is collapsing pushing the narrative that Hungary should pursue its own independent foreign and energy policy. This ties the Venezuela situation to his wider criticisms of Western policies and Hungary’s positions within the EU.
I agree that Mitsotakis made a serious gaffe. I am not sure what his motive was. Was it strictly designed to be on Trump’s good side, looking forward to his trip to the U.S. in March, or he actually believes what he says? Trump is known to be vindictive and disinvite leaders that talk against him.
However, if that was Mitsotakis’ motive, then, he might have Turkey in mind. Erdogan is not known for following international norms in his quest for regional hegemony. And we know that Trump admires Erdogan. If Trump feels betrayed by Mitsotakis, then Turkey will get her F-35s. Which is something that Greece wants to prevent.
So far, Mitsotakis stance on the Ukraine war has been consistent with the international law and with Greece’s interests. Why such a turn around when it comes to Venezuela?. Maybe after the dust settles, in a few days’ time, we’ll know more.
Let me also remind Helleniscope’s editorial board, that previously, the editorial team has been supportive of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. I have been against it, not only because it is wrong, but also because it normalizes aggression of stronger nations against weaker ones. Turkey is waiting on the sidelines, see how the Ukraine crisis plays out, ready to impede Greece’s prerogative in extracting her undersea minerals. I am looking forward to Helleniscope condemning Russia’s four year war of aggression.
1) Before you search for Mitsotakis’s motives (a search that most times will lead you to corruption) you have first to look for incompetence.
2) Helkeniscope spent a lot of posts to explain that it was the West who lied to Russia and it was the West who violated Russia’s security needs. We stand by our position and we have presented tons of evidence. The latest was last year’s revelation by Merkel that the Minsk accord were signed just to allow Ukraine to rearm. Period – end of story.
Nick. Be that as it may, your article on Mitsotakis hypocrisy, clearly condemns aggression by stronger states against weaker ones, which obviously includes Russia’s Ukraine war. You are calling it and I quote “RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE”. And very correctly, you are comparing apples to apples, when saying that if you condemn one invasion, its hypocritical to not condemn the other.
We can come up with all kinds of excuses why Russia’s situation is different than America’s, Russia claiming NATO’s expansion, Trump claiming the “theft” of America’s investment in Venezuella’s oil infrastructure, plus the ready excuse of drug smuggling. Bottom line is that the world becomes dangerous for smaller States, if either America’s or Russia’s aggression is not condemned.
Bob, when you are a political leader of a nation like Greece of course you will take advantage and condemn the invasion publicly. But privately you will be careful to not destroy your historic relationship with Russia.
But when you do a geopolitical analysis as we usually do here, you will have to state that Russia is a nuclear superpower and has special security needs specifically around its borders. If you don’t do that it’s better to write a romance novel and avoid geopolitics.
I strongly disagree that Mitsotakis stance on Ukraine is consistent with Greece’s interests. Greek governments for decades have supported western interests in the belief that this would pay off for Greece and Cyprus. Greece under Simitis betrayed the Kurds and delivered Abdullah Ocalan to the Turks.
The same government under Simitis allowed NATO to bomb Serbia using Greek territory. We can go back decades earlier and look at Greece’s support for America and Britain in both World Wars.
In 1922 the western powers supported the Turks in Asia Minor and Smyrna. In 1955, the Turks instigated the anti Greek pogroms in Constantinople and the ethnic cleansing process of those last Greeks in the city and the islands of Imbros and Tenedos.
Where has this pro western direction paid off for Greece and Cyprus? Greece
should be taking a neutral position on conflicts not its own. Alienating Russia was an act of madness.
At a minimum Greece should have opened negotiations with Moscow to discuss the possibility of an alliance. This was not done because the establishment in Athens behave like servants to their American masters than as the proud rulers of a free and independent Greece.
There is no reason to believe that supporting Ukraine will
Convince the US or NATO to help Greece or Cyprus. Mitsotakis is doing nothing different than his predecessors. And Ukraine is not exactly led by rational people.
Ukraine’s army is filled with Neonazis. Its Mayors and Police are actively leading angry mobs in seizing Churches and terrorizing Ukrainians who go to Church. I am not sure what Greece gains by supporting such a government.
If anything, the support for Ukraine and the recognition of the Ukrainian pseudo Church by the Greek Churches has seriously compromised Greece. Greece should have maintained a neutral stance on the war and had the Patriarch and the Archbishop of Athens not recognized the pseudo Church, Greece could have hosted talks between Ukraine and Russia.
Instead, Turkey has been involved in negotiating a war involving two Orthodox countries. This is a huge failure for Greek diplomacy and Greece’s Orthodox identity. The conversion of Kieven Rus came from the Greeks, but one thousand years later it is the Turks who destroyed Constantinople that have leverage in Moscow and Kiev.
Greece is so firmly under the influence of the west, it’s rulers are incapable of distinguishing between Greece and America-NATO.
bobkarp
Re: >> ” clearly condemns aggression by stronger states against weaker ones, which obviously includes Russia’s Ukraine war ” <> ” if either America’s or Russia’s aggression is not condemned. ” <<
Do you practice saying some of the things you write with a straight face? Ukraine *is* a weaker country but you leave out important facts: that the full force of NATO ( only without the official boots on the ground, but with 10's of thousands of war tourist mercenaries ) is behind those bandera worshipers. Ground, air, and satellite reconnaissance, equipment, maintenance to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars from your taxes and the fists of the europeans to kill the other side. You may recall the ( 17? 18? ) rounds of sanctions on Russia by these state provocateurs design to ruin the Russian economy that have only succeeded in sanction-proofing it.
Do you then recall that over 10,000 ethnic civilian Russians were slaughtered between the US-financed maidan after Yanukovich decided to turn to Russia for economic cooperation as opposed to europe? Suddenly Crimea was put out of reach by the Russian military. If not, you def recall that Poroshenko was drooling at the prospect of Russian families in ukraine living in joblessness and poverty while their children in ukraine attended school in basements?
ukraine has adopted the fascist principles of the 1930's in Germany and their hero bandera of the 40's and 50's while borrowing muscle from countries drooling over Russian natural resources.
Meanwhile nuclear-capable missiles have been based as close to Russia as Romania, with the intent of more being based with a flight time of 8 minutes from the Kremlin.
Frankly, I'm surprised at the Russian gov's patience and ( current ) narrowness of purpose. That may yet change.
Causus Beli has been established. You can't wave a knife in someone's face indefinitely expecting them to not act, especially when they are capable of overwhelming.
Let’s send a letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis asking him to retract what he said through diplomatic channels
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Prime Minister’s Office
Office of Maximou
Herodou Attikou 19
106 73 Athens, Greece
Dear Prime Minister Mitsotakis,
I am writing as a concerned citizen to express my disappointment and alarm at your recent public reaction to the extrajudicial abduction of the Prime Minister of Venezuela. With the single remark that “this is not the time to comment on the legality of the recent actions,” and by describing the outcome as a source of “hope,” you set aside the very principles on which Greece’s international standing depends: respect for sovereignty, the rule of law, and the UN Charter.
Greece’s credibility in international affairs rests on consistent adherence to fundamental legal and ethical norms. Selective application of those norms — praising or excusing the use of force and the abduction of an elected head of government — undermines our moral authority, weakens our ability to defend Greek interests when they are threatened, and risks normalizing practices that lead to instability and retaliation.
I urge you to take the following actions to restore trust and demonstrate leadership consistent with our values:
– Publicly reaffirm Greece’s commitment to international law, sovereignty, and non‑use of force.
– Acknowledge the mistake of endorsing or appearing to endorse extrajudicial actions and clarify that Greece does not condone such measures.
– Engage with Parliament, the EU, and the UN to support a lawful, diplomatic response and to strengthen multilateral mechanisms that prevent and hold accountable unlawful uses of force.
– Commit to consistent application of these principles in future statements and policy decisions.
Greece’s long‑term security and diplomatic influence depend on principled consistency. I respectfully request a clear statement from your office addressing this matter and outlining the steps you will take to correct the course.
Respectfully
Το γράμμα εστάλη στον Πρωθυπουργό της Ελλάδος στα Αγγλικά και στα Ελληνικά
Αγαπητέ Πρωθυπουργέ κε Μητσοτάκη,
Σας γράφω ως ανήσυχος πολίτης για να εκφράσω την απογοήτευση και την ανησυχία μου για την πρόσφατη δημόσια αντίδρασή σας στην εξωδικαστική απαγωγή του Πρωθυπουργού της Βενεζουέλας. Με τη μόνη παρατήρηση ότι «δεν είναι η κατάλληλη στιγμή να σχολιάσουμε τη νομιμότητα των πρόσφατων ενεργειών» και περιγράφοντας το αποτέλεσμα ως πηγή «ελπίδας», παραμερίζετε τις ίδιες τις αρχές από τις οποίες εξαρτάται η διεθνής θέση της Ελλάδας: τον σεβασμό της κυριαρχίας, του κράτους δικαίου και του Χάρτη των Ηνωμένων Εθνών. Η αξιοπιστία της Ελλάδας στις διεθνείς υποθέσεις βασίζεται στη συνεπή τήρηση των θεμελιωδών νομικών και ηθικών κανόνων. Η επιλεκτική εφαρμογή αυτών των κανόνων – η επαίνους ή η δικαιολογία της χρήσης βίας και της απαγωγής ενός εκλεγμένου αρχηγού κυβέρνησης – υπονομεύει την ηθική μας εξουσία, αποδυναμώνει την ικανότητά μας να υπερασπιζόμαστε τα ελληνικά συμφέροντα όταν απειλούνται και ενέχει τον κίνδυνο ομαλοποίησης πρακτικών που οδηγούν σε αστάθεια και αντίποινα.
Σας προτρέπω να λάβετε τα ακόλουθα μέτρα για να αποκαταστήσετε την εμπιστοσύνη και να επιδείξετε ηγεσία σύμφωνη με τις αξίες μας: – Επιβεβαιώστε δημόσια τη δέσμευση της Ελλάδας στο διεθνές δίκαιο, την κυριαρχία και τη μη χρήση βίας. – Αναγνωρίστε το λάθος της υποστήριξης ή της εμφάνισης ότι υποστηρίζει εξωδικαστικές ενέργειες και διευκρινίστε ότι η Ελλάδα δεν ανέχεται τέτοια μέτρα. – Συνεργαστείτε με το Κοινοβούλιο, την ΕΕ και τον ΟΗΕ για να υποστηρίξετε μια νόμιμη, διπλωματική αντίδραση και να ενισχύσετε τους πολυμερείς μηχανισμούς που αποτρέπουν και λογοδοτούν για παράνομες χρήσεις βίας.
– Δεσμευτείτε για συνεπή εφαρμογή αυτών των αρχών σε μελλοντικές δηλώσεις και πολιτικές αποφάσεις. Η μακροπρόθεσμη ασφάλεια και η διπλωματική επιρροή της Ελλάδας εξαρτώνται από τη συνέπεια βάσει αρχών. Με σεβασμό, ζητώ μια σαφή δήλωση από το γραφείο σας που να ασχολείται με αυτό το θέμα και να περιγράφει τα βήματα που θα κάνετε για να διορθώσετε την πορεία.
Με σεβασμό,
Σεβαστή Μπούτου
Thank You for directing the pharos on K. Mitsotakis for his mediocre, his unnecessary response to Trump’s dangerous foreign policy maneuvers in South America. KM ‘s peculiar, out of context statement, obviously obscuring Greek National Interests. It is indeed disturbing, as it has no merit, no particular significance to advance Greek Security in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Apparently, Mitsos wants to be on the same team with Trump or get invited to the famous resort in Florida to bond with Trump on more personal level, in order to share their mutual corruptive issues from our troubled world since they themselves are infected by their own scandals that define their administrations of chronic dysfunctionalities by disregarding the responsibilities to honor the work of crucial public duties in behalf of their constituents. Trump has been involved in over 4,000 lawsuits, tying up our tax monies in courts for his own benefit, not for the public’s welfare. His association with Epstein has little effect on his reputation as a sitting President, just as Tempi or EKPEP, has none on Mitsos’s stigma from his corruptive episodes due to serious lack of institutional control. Regrettably, we have come a long way from vetting, scrutinizing our public officials that we put on the voting ballots! Do we in any way, shape, or form question, or to hardly care to characterize them? or are they our own reflection’s personality, these current leaders of the free world?? Today, these shady characters, are dangerous folks, who are in pinnacle positions that navigate our government apparatus. We have come a long way, since the
election of 1972 Nixon’s Landslide on winning 49 out 50 states – almost full mandate by the American Voters. Trump nor Mitsos have a full Mandate! Far from it!! After two years, in the White House, Nixon in the summer of 1974 resigned due to the Watergate Scandal- which was not necessary for his attaining the White House, but he courageously resigned in humiliation! Not Trump nor Mitsos! How about Gary Hart Dem.
Senator from Colorado during the 1988 Election, when he was caught on photo with a young lady on sailboat in Miami, despite being separated from his wife, he was being accused of infidelity! Not Trump or Mitsos? Sen Hart was the front runner for the Democratic Nominee; he resigned the next day! Gov Dukakis got the nomination in 1988. How about Sen. Ted Kennedy’s tragedy at Chappaquiddick, heir to the Camelot Kennedy Family, his presidential dream faded instantly!
My point is that the public Expected a catharsis from public officials and resignation was a fore gone conclusion to disengage them immediately from positions of power. Today’s clowns or yioyios ,cling on to power at any cost and they are rewarded by being re-elected?? What does this say for the very fabric of our society? what does it mean for this to be an acceptable anecdote of a self-serving administrations without any accountability to anyone?
Trump is a lame duck president and Mitsos should be as well, since his service is diminishing due to scams and corruption. It is well known, that the Mitsotakis family has donated and funded Stanford University in San Jose CA millions of dollars, yet they take no responsibility in 2023 to safeguard university students from Thessaloniki Greece-this is an unacceptable crime against the Greek People, both “have no Tsipa”. I can only close by recalling the wisdom from an Athenian of the 5th Century BC,
Thucydides reminds us that.
“Ultimate Power Corrupts any Human Being”
Above Comment From Vassilis G. Tourikis
University of Washington Pol. Science/International Law
Anacortes WA
USA
Birthplace
Domvraina Thivon Boeotias
Ellas
One more important thing to consider on the lessons of Corruption, the warning of
Thucydides !
As to why Democracy is anathema to Corruption as it destroys accountability ,Responsibility!
In the case of The Richard Nixon Presidency from winning 49/50 states in the election of 1972,
President Nixon took the OATH on January 1973 and his Vice President took the OATH
his name SPIRO AGNEW/ Greek American in the White House -native Greek family name Anagnostopoulos
from Greece,
Now. in 1973 in the USA Nixon and Agnew are in the White House to serve the American People
with 98% MANADATE 49/50 States!
Due to idiotic Corruption ???-nothing to do with their own political administration to serve the people that elected them into the White House-Nothing at all! Not really, self-serving nor accusations or faults of misapplications of Federal Power to challenge the US Constitution or Foreign Policy Issues!
If it interests Greek/Americans to study the events or they sleeping ?? as AHEPANS/ARCHONS do on account, that they are perceived to be successful Greek Americans with susceptive agendas?
But, another unknown reason at this time after 50 years! In my view it is highly irreprehensible
That if both: VP AGNEW had not resigned nor Nixon Resigned -had they both NOT resigned from 98% Mandate??
What A
set-up?? for Kissinger the Sec of State to take control and allow Turkey with USA Arms to invade Cyprus.
There is no way on July 20th 1974 , Turkey would have invaded a small Greek Populated Independent Island CYPRUS in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea! No WAY!
A seasoned US President of the Republican Party and a Popular Greek/American Republican Sitting
Vice President in the White House! No way, that must have been a set-up as the accusations did not fit the dire the tragic consequences of the Invasion of the Cypriot Invasion and today we have Turkey breathing down our back in the Aegean sea, Why?? we do not need corruption on any level of government by any anyone or anybody domestically or on the federal side of calculated maligned agendas!
After 50 years The Invasion of Cyprus has never been Explained with transparency to the American People, to
Greek/Americans/ to Greeks or to Cypriots!!!!!! Never- Inexcusable!!
ISA
The Israeli Security Agency – $$$$ way way way overpaid to do what?? why were they hired in Athens 2004 for the Olympic Games= WE did not need them!!ISA monitors all of Greece including
who is elected to govern the GREEK PEOPLE`!!!!