Europe

Greeks divided over EU sanctions against Russia: Poll

Majority of Greek respondents in Eurobarometer survey feel Russian government, people must be viewed separately

Magda Panoutsopoulou  | 06.05.2022 - Update : 06.05.2022
Greeks divided over EU sanctions against Russia: Poll

ATHENS

More than 40% of Greeks disagree with EU sanctions against Russia, according to a Eurobarometer survey.

Results of the online poll published on Thursday showed a majority of respondents – 51% – hold Russia responsible for the crisis, while 45% do not agree with this view.

Some 66% of Greeks believe a distinction should be made between the Russian leadership and Russian people, as opposed to 27% who clubbed the two together.

The poll found 53% of Greek respondents agreed with the economic sanctions imposed on Russia and wealthy Russian oligarchs.

Only 31% of Greeks are satisfied with their government’s response to the war in Ukraine, with the figure dropping further down to 29% for the European Union’s reaction.

Some 40% agreed on financing the purchase and supply of military equipment to Ukraine.

However, almost all Greeks – 95% – were in favor of providing humanitarian support, while 74% backed the idea of financial support for Ukraine.

As Greeks grapple with massive energy bills, 94% percent agreed that measures should be taken at the European level to limit the impact of rising energy prices on consumers and companies.

Another 94% said rising energy costs have significantly impacted their purchasing power.

About Greece’s dependency on Russian energy, 70% of respondents said the country should reduce its reliance on Moscow.

The poll found Greeks to be particularly skeptical about sources for information about the war – only 39% trust European authorities, state authorities (39%), journalists (23%), NGOs (21%) and social media (35%).​​​​​​​

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