ATHENS – Out of the millions of Ukrainians fighting for their country, it should not have been a member of the Azov Battalion that addressed the Greek parliament, government spokesperson Yiannis Oikonomou said on Friday.

“It was wrong and unacceptable,” he said, in statements made in the context of the 7th Delphi Economic Forum. At the same time, he stressed the need to put the matter into its proper perspective, noting that “we should not forget the bigger picture” and that the crisis in Ukraine was not a communications issue.

Referring to the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus, Oikonomou said that this was an open wound for Greeks and that this wound will not heal until is closed in accordance with International Law and the will of the people of Cyprus.

Asked about the timing of the next general elections, he repeated that they will be held at the end of the government’s four-year term. “The constant elections lead nowhere, if there is something that Greece needs is institutional consistency,” he said.