Almost half of all Greeks are against EU sanctions on Russia: Poll
Greek Cabinet and lawmakers applaud as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (on screen) after addressing the Greek Parliament. Zelenskyy called for more weapons to be sent from the West to Ukraine, and for tightened sanctions on Russia, Athens, Greece, April 7, 2022. (AP Photo)


A poll has revealed that more than 40% of Greeks disagree with European Union sanctions against Russia, according to a Eurobarometer survey.

Results of the online poll published on Thursday showed just over half 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 the Russian people, as opposed to 27% who clubbed the two together.

However, 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 EU's reaction.

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

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

Rising energy bills

As Greeks grapple with massive energy bills, 94% 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.

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

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