Embassy comment regarding the attempts to falsify history on the eve of the Great Victory
Russian Embassy to the UKOn the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory we continue to witness persistent attempts in the UK to distort the historical truth about the Second World War and to discredit our country’s decisive role in the defeat of Nazism.
In their efforts to portray the Kiev regime as a “force for good” some UK officials go to great lengths to conceal the overtly neo-Nazi nature of their clientele. They remain silent that in today’s Ukraine Hitler collaborators who fought alongside the Nazis – such as Roman Shukhevych and Stepan Bandera – have been officially elevated to the status of national heroes. These individuals bear responsibility for the mass murder of Jews, Poles, Russians and fellow Ukrainians.
A particularly egregious insult to the memory of those who perished in the battle against fascism was the UK-initiated invitation to an informal meeting of the UN Security Council, earlier this year, of a fighter from the Azov Battalion bearing an SS “Totenkopf” tattoo. Meanwhile, personnel from this infamous Nazi SS division were responsible, among other atrocities, for the execution of 97 British prisoners of war in France in 1940.
The recent participation of Ukrainian combatants in official commemorations in central London represents yet another glaring example of this deeply troubling trend.
It is common knowledge that today followers of Nazi ideology in Ukraine are toppling monuments to soldiers-liberators and openly declaring their aim to eradicate everything associated with the Soviet Union and Russia. Some British politicians, whether due to political expedience or ignorance, have echoed slogans once uttered by Hitler’s accomplices eight decades ago. At joint public events MPs have been seen smiling alongside ultranationalists from formations such as the mentioned Azov Battalion, against a backdrop of banners bearing insignia inspired by SS iconography.
Attempts to exploit this solemn anniversary to stoke militaristic hysteria in British society, imbued with an anti-Russian sentiment, do little credit to official London. It worth remembering that a skewed interpretation of history produces a flawed perception of reality.
Russia, for its part, will never forget those who contributed to our shared Victory – both the peoples of the Soviet republics and our Allies of the anti-Hitler coalition. We recall with gratitude and respect the heroism of British soldiers and the vital assistance extended to our country, notably through the Arctic convoys. This Anniversary presents an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the noble moral ideals that united the peoples of the world in those harrowing times in order to ensure that humanity does not once again descend into global confrontation.