ATHENS – His party having a core of Communist sympathizers, Greece’s major opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is misguided for having sent arms to assist Ukraine during Russia’s invasion.

Tsipras, who initially was lukewarm in supporting Ukraine backed away from that when the government sent weapons, although Mitsotakis also later withdrew from sending more.

Tsipras, reported EURACTIV, said that Mitsotakis’ New Democracy government “rushed from the very first days” and was “among the first to make Greece, by sending weapons to Ukraine, an active part of this war.”

He didn’t mention that it wasn’t a war but an invasion by Russia and that Ukraine desperately needed foreign weapons to defend itself as Russian troops were slaughtering civilians and children.

Speaking at a meeting of the  Central Committee of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, he said that the European Union has to try diplomacy, which hasn’t worked, but he insisted it should be pushed instead of war.

“We want and seek Europe to take decisive initiatives to silence the guns and let diplomacy speak. And above all, because we know very well that such a war cannot have winners in the end, but only losers,” said Tsipras.

In Kiev a week earlier, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias declared Greece’s continuing support for Ukraine as Greece sent Russian-made armored vehicles of Soviet origin.

Tsipras said there should be creation in Greece of “a modern peace movement in terms of condemning the Russian invasion and criticizing the attitude of the West,” although while in power he reneged on a promise to take Greece out of NATO and instead helped the defense alliance.