The ambassadors of the Russian Federation and Belarus refused to be received in the Bundestag at the ceremony of commemoration of the Second World War
The German Bundestag excluded the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus from the list of invitees to a special meeting on May 8, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. About this informs Reuters.
The decision demonstrates Germany’s displeasure with how Russia’s role in liberating Europe from the Nazi regime should be interpreted today, as Vladimir Putin uses the legacy of World War II to legitimize full-scale aggression against Ukraine.
A statement from a representative of the Bundestag explaining the move stated:
“This assessment led to the fact that the ambassadors of the Russian Federation and Belarus, among others, were not invited.”
Representatives of other foreign embassies will join the event in the plenary hall of the Bundestag. The meeting will be devoted not only to the end of the war, but also to the cessation of violence and genocide carried out by Nazi Germany on the territory of Europe.
We will remind that on April 16, despite the warning of the government of Germany, the Russian ambassador Serhiy Nechaev took part in a commemorative event in the city of Zelov in the east of Germany. Berlin has previously expressed concern about Moscow’s possible use of such events for propaganda purposes.
The event was dedicated to the Battle of Seelovsky Heights — one of the final battles before the Soviet assault on Berlin and the surrender of Nazi Germany in May 1945. At least 30,000 Soviet soldiers died in this battle, one of the most tragic for the Red Army.
