ForMin says Greek language not threatened in Ukraine, but...

Perhaps, the relevant issues that were on the minds of most Greeks, the possible ban on the Greek language and the fate of more than 150,000 Greeks living.

Upon his arrival in Athens, Mr. Venizelos expressed his satisfaction that the interim Ukrainian government has pledged to continue the process of Ukraine's membership in the European Union by signing the EU's Association Agreement.

Prior to flying to Kiev, Venizelos had met on the same day with the Greek community in Mariupol to assure them of Greece's support and protection, an issue he brought up with Ukraine's interim government, which pledged its support.

As concerns the issues mentioned before, Mr Venizelos tried to be re-assuring by saying that the relevant bill brought before the Ukrainian parliament to “curtail” (as he said) the use of minority languages in “administrative use” has not yet been ratified, and it doesn't concern the Greek language which is mainly used for educational purposes, and not for administrative purposes, as he said.

However, this seemed a little bit like everyone fudging their answers. The argument that a bill has yet to be ratified, says of itself nothing. Eventually it will, unless enough pressure is brought to bear, something which is highly unlikely with the western media blitz lauding the country's new masters. In light of revelations that the EU is far from keen to extend any significant amount of aid Ukraine's way, and Kiev is probably well aware of this, it is hard to see what leverage could be brought to bear to sway the new government's opinions.

And who exactly is the argument about administrative use and educational use actually trying to convince? Where are the boundaries to be drawn, and who will decided? The issue becomes extremely salient, as the Right Sector and Svoboda parties are in the ascendant, and have no fear of showing their true neo-Nazi colors. Taken along with the law that repealed a ban on neo-Nazi and fascist propaganda this obviously bodes ill for minorities.

The numerous ethnic Greek minority that has lived in the area for hundreds, and some for thousands, of years, have good reason to fear. In 1937, through an edict from Stalin, Greek associations were named spy pools, and what followed was nothing less than ethnic cleansing for the Greek people living in the Azov area. Greek schools, newspapers, theaters, and the ethnological organizational were shut down. All Greek intellectuals were executed on trumped up charges, along with thousands of ethnic Greek workers and farmers. Not a single family was spared. The burial sites are still unknown.

The fact that they are in their vast majority speakers will mean that they will suffer the language ban one way or another. The very fact that the local community is issuing announcements of adhering to legitimacy and being peace-loving Ukrainian citizens is worrisome, as it is pre-emptive. However, the planes coming from Kiev to Athens tell other stories, stories of fear, and anguish.

Perhaps, Mr Venizelos is too concerned about the deteriorating conditions within his party that bode very ill in upcoming elections. However this is of little concern to all parties involved, as the foreign minister has proven less than adequate in the performance of his duties, both as the current representative of EU diplomacy, but also as the chief arbiter of Greek interests abroad, much to the chagrin of Europeans, Ukrainians, his own fellow-citizens, as well as the ethnic Greeks living in Ukraine.