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Fidias Panayiotou, a Cypriot Member of the European Parliament (MEP), is facing potential consequences for his trip to Moscow to celebrate Russia’s Victory Day, alongside a small group of European lawmakers, during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to Kathimerini's Pavlos Xanthoulis, although no official investigation has started yet, sources in the European Parliament suggest that repercussions are possible due to the group’s political stance, which includes meeting with Russian leaders like the President of the Duma.
Ahead of the trip, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola warned MEPs to be mindful of their actions, reminding them that Ukrainians are still fighting for their freedom. However, Panayiotou, seemingly ignoring the historical and political ties between Ukraine’s situation and Cyprus (both countries are victims of occupation), posted a video from Moscow criticizing the EU for supporting Ukraine with arms and financial aid.
Panayiotou’s remarks, which downplayed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, were widely criticized. Greek Minister of Health Adonis Georgiades reposted Panayiotou’s video and questioned whether he held the same views about Turkey’s invasion and occupation of Cyprus. He called for an honest answer about where Panayiotou stood on such matters.
The controversy follows another political misstep in Cyprus, after ELAM’s failed attempt to pass a European Parliament resolution condemning Turkey’s illegal visit to Cyprus. While Panayiotou’s actions are separate, they both expose Cyprus to international criticism.
In the video posted from Moscow, Panayiotou claimed that the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine had been sending weapons and money to fight the Russians, neglecting the fact that Ukraine is defending itself from Russian invasion, similar to Cyprus’ situation with Turkey since 1974. He also referred to Russians as “brothers” and emphasized that his visit to Russia was about peace talks, not furthering conflict.
Panayiotou was one of the few MEPs who voted against a European Parliament resolution calling for the return of 20,000 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. This vote caused further concern, as it contradicted the widely supported UN position that the forced deportation of children is a war crime. Panayiotou later amended his vote to abstain.
The trip and Panayiotou’s actions are raising questions about his political stance, and while there’s no official investigation yet, the European Parliament may take action in the future.
