A brief video intervention by a member of the Nazi battalion Azov in the Greek parliament during President Zelensky’s address on Thursday has caused a political uproar, as the government spokesperson Yiannis Oikonomou dubbed the move “wrong and misguided”, adding, however, that “it is outrageous and dishonest for a section of the opposition, led by Mr. Tsipras, to try once again to indirectly justify the Russian invasion.

“…it is outrageous and dishonest for a section of the opposition, led by Mr. Tsipras, to use this mistake to justify the Russian invasion once again. An invasion that causes civilian executions and humanitarian destruction. If something is a shame it is not to take a clear position,” he said.

Many politicians protested the appearance of the member of Azov, who in his address said he was of Greek origin, calling it a ‘disgrace’ and ‘shameful’ for the history of the Greek parliament.

Earlier, Antonis Samaras, the former PM and MP of New Democracy expressed his strong dissatisfaction speaking to the reporters, while KINAL MPs wondered whether the Speaker of the Parliament knew in advance about the initiative of the President of Ukraine.

SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras called the speech by the Azov member “historical shame”.

In a post, he stated that “the Prime Minister bears the absolute responsibility”, adding that “the Nazis can not have a say in Parliament”.

Zelensky gave his video address in the presence of President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras, the head of the opposition Movement for Change (KINAL) parliamentary group Michalis Katrinis and MeRA25 representative Giorgos Logiadis, while the parliamentary groups of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the right-wing Elliniki Lysi were absent.