Russian envoy threatened in Germany over Victory Day celebrations
The German authorities have warned Russian Ambassador Sergey Nechayev that he could be expelled from events marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
The controversy erupted ahead of the May 9 celebration of the 80th anniversary of Victory Day, one of Russia's most revered holidays. On Monday, Nechayev and the Belarusian ambassador appeared at the Seelow Heights Memorial in Brandenburg around 50 miles (80km) east of Berlin to lay a wreath in honor of the fallen Soviet soldiers.
However, Brandenburg's memorial director, Professor Axel Drecoll, has vehemently opposed Russia's participation in these events, issuing a veiled threat to obstruct access or even remove the ambassador from the premises if he continues to visit memorial sites without permission.
'We have banned the Russian Embassy from all anniversaries since the attack on Ukraine. If the ambassador comes anyway, we will enforce our house rules – in close coordination with security forces,' he said, as quoted by Bild.
According to the tabloid, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Brandenburg's minister-president, Dietmar Woidke, have expressed their intentions to prevent these uninvited appearances in the future. The Federal Foreign Office earlier advised all organizers against allowing Russian and Belarusian representatives to take part in WWII commemorations.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has criticized Germany's stance, with spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accusing the German Foreign Ministry of 'unmasking itself to reveal the ugliness of Russophobia and the hallmarks of Nazism.'
Nechayev has defied this policy, telling the German Press Agency, 'We do not need a special invitation to honor the memory of the Soviet liberators and the victims of Nazism in publicly accessible places and to solemnly celebrate Victory Day.'
On Wednesday, the envoy and diplomats from several former Soviet republics laid wreaths at a Soviet military cemetery in Potsdam without facing any opposition. Nechayev noted that these events are attended by German citizens who are grateful for the liberation from the Nazi regime. 'I am very glad that the German public, in spite of the well-known bans, remembers the heroic deeds of the Red Army and maintains the correct culture of remembrance,' he said, as quoted by TASS.
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