Kremlin Accuses Christodoulides and Demetriou of "Russophobia"

The Russian Foreign Ministry has added statements by Cypriot officials to a new section of its website titled "Examples of Russophobic Manifestations." The section includes statements that the Kremlin considers to be "hate speech against Russia" from Western and allied countries of Ukraine.

In the section on Cyprus, statements by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, are included.

Annita Demetriou's statements concern her meeting with the representative of the Belarusian opposition, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, on March 10, 2024, where she condemned violations of international law and the occupation of Cypriot territory by Turkey. She also refers to her statement on April 22, 2024, where she stressed the need for a unified EU response to crises, referring to regimes such as Putin's and Lukashenko's.

Nikos Christodoulides, in a press conference on March 27, 2024, stated that lawlessness cannot be allowed to prevail after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and that Cyprus remains on the side of Ukraine.