Speaking in May 2014 (ahead of Ukraine's elections) new Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made very clear why he is now against Germany's push for further sanctions against Russia [4].
Via VoR, [5]
[The SYRIZA] party believes that the new government in Ukraine came to power as a result of a coup, and call it a junta.
[6]
h/t @Erula1
"We should not accept or recognize the government of neo-Nazis in Ukraine," the Athens News Agency quotes Tsipras who believes that the Ukrainian people should decide their future themselves.
Speaking about different peoples' movements for self-determination, Tsipras said that the European left respected the right to self-determination, but nationalism and clashes could not lead to positive results.
"We in the EU should not give preference to changing borders, but must respect the position of the peoples, who have decided to create a Federation within the state," said the SYRIZA leader.
Tsipras added,
the EU must change in order to survive; the EU lacks democracy, and citizens do not believe that their vote can change policy.
* * *