THE Communist Party of Greece (KKE) is boycotting next month’s special parliamentary session due to be addressed by Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky.

It said that he “represents a reactionary government backed by the US-Nato-EU camp and like Russia is responsible for the drama of the Ukrainian people.”

KKE accused the Ukrainian government for supporting neonazi groups, and said it had persecuted and imprisoned communists and banned the Communist Party of Ukraine.

Senior figures in the KKE, including the vice-president of the Greek parliament Giorgos Lambroulis and former MEP Sotris Zarianopoulos, have been blacklisted by Kiev because of their support for Ukrainian communists, the party said.

“The invitation of the Greek government to Zelensky has nothing to do with solidarity with the people of Ukraine,” a KKE statement said.  

The party’s stance would be the same if parliament was to be addressed by US President Joe Biden or Russian President Vladimir Putin, it added.

The KKE has yet to receive a response to its urgent question in the European parliament regarding the situation of communist youth leaders Alexander and Mikhail Kononovich, who were detained in Ukraine earlier this month.

Mr Zelensky is set to address the Greek parliament via video link on April 7 after accepting an invitation from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Ukrainian president has already spoken at the British, French and Israeli parliaments and earlier this month addressed the US Congress as he seeks to rally support for his country, invaded by Russia last month.

The initiative has been welcomed by the social democratic parties Syriza and Kinal as “a positive move of solidarity.”