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Germany plays leading role in ‘hysterical Russophobia'
Germany plays leading role in ‘hysterical Russophobia'

Russia Today

timea day ago

  • Politics
  • Russia Today

Germany plays leading role in ‘hysterical Russophobia'

The German leadership is stoking anti-Russian hysteria in Europe, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, commenting on recent statements by senior German government and military officials. Berlin adopted a hardline stance toward Russia after Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May. Earlier this month, he declared that diplomatic options in the Ukraine conflict had been 'exhausted' and reaffirmed his commitment to arming Kiev. He also demanded that Russia pay at least €500 billion ($540 billion) for Ukraine's reconstruction. Asked to comment on recent statements by German officials, Peskov said: 'Germany is… whipping up hysterical Russophobia,' and 'tries to play a leading role on the European continent' with regard to demonizing Russia. 'They are doing everything to create the image of an enemy out of our nation.' Moscow 'deeply regrets' the fact that Berlin pursues this policy and 'spends vast resources' on it, Peskov added. 'This is certainly not in the interests of the European people.' Top German officials have recently stepped up their anti-Russian rhetoric. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warned last week that Berlin plans to supply Ukraine with long-range weapons that can strike deep into Russian territory. Moscow has warned that these weapons supplies could lead to a major escalation. Merz previously hinted at the possibility of providing Kiev with Taurus missiles capable of striking Moscow. Earlier this month, Major General Christian Freuding, who oversees Germany's military assistance to Ukraine, openly suggested that Kiev strike Russian airfields and weapons factories deep inside the country. He also called on Kiev's Western backers to consider 'where we can apply further pressure, particularly to limit Russian production capabilities.' Commenting on the situation last week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the EU has been using Goebbels-style propaganda to fuel anti-Russian 'frenzy.'

Moscow calls for ‘International day against Russophobia'
Moscow calls for ‘International day against Russophobia'

Russia Today

time4 days ago

  • Politics
  • Russia Today

Moscow calls for ‘International day against Russophobia'

The world needs an 'International Day against Russophobia,' Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said, adding that this 'extremist' ideology should not be allowed to take root in the international community. Anti-Russian propaganda spread by Western nations has already led to numerous tragedies, including the Ukraine conflict, the spokeswoman told an International Summer School for young public officials. 'Weapons are being supplied to the terrorist Kiev regime under the hellish banners of Russophobia,' she said. According to Zakharova, the hatred of everything Russian has become 'yet another extremist, Nazi… neo-Nazi ideology that kills people both literally and figuratively.' It should be combated just like any other racial or religious hatred, the spokeswoman maintained. Russophobia should have 'no place on Earth,' much less as a state ideology, she said, naming Ukraine as one of the prime examples of nations harboring the ideology and depriving millions of people of their native Russian language. The government in Kiev has waged a campaign to purge anything linked to Russia for years. The authorities have renamed streets and demolished monuments deemed linked to Russia, including some UNESCO World Heritage sites. Moscow has cited the protection of the Russian-speaking population of Donbass among the key reasons for the military operation it launched in 2022. The continued repression of the Russian-speaking population by the Ukrainian government has been consistently ignored by the US and the EU since the Western-backed coup in Kiev in 2014, according to Russia. The Baltic states have also ramped up enforcement actions against anyone suspected of having Russian ties. Hundreds of people, primarily ethnic Russians, have reportedly been deported from Latvia for failing a Latvian language exam. Riga has also prohibited entry of Russian citizens who own real estate near strategically important sites, citing security concerns. In June, top officials from Baltic and Nordic nations called on Brussels to ban all Russians with past or current ties to the military from entering the Schengen Zone.

Russian consulate slams 'cancel culture' after tall ship refused entry to Scots harbour
Russian consulate slams 'cancel culture' after tall ship refused entry to Scots harbour

STV News

time18-07-2025

  • Politics
  • STV News

Russian consulate slams 'cancel culture' after tall ship refused entry to Scots harbour

The Russian Consulate of Edinburgh has blamed 'Russophobia' and 'cancel culture' after a tall ship was denied entry into the Port of Aberdeen due to it being captained by a Russian-born man. The TS Shtandart said it had been excluded from the list of participants in the 2025 Tall Ships Races, which are arriving in the North East, in an open letter to the city's port authorities. The Russian (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2022 were introduced following the invasion of Ukraine. Under the legislation, ships owned, controlled, chartered, or operated by designated persons, those connected with Russia, or those flying the Russian flag or registered in Russia, are prevented from entering UK Ports. It is understood that the TS Shtandart was registered as a Russian vessel until June 2024 and that the captain, Vladimir Martus, was born in an Eastern European country. However, the letter issued states that the ship now sails under the Cook Islands flag, and she has not visited Russia in 15 years. The letter also adds that Mr Martus left Russia more than ten years ago and is now a 'long-term resident and taxpayer in Germany'. Now, the Russian Consulate of Edinburgh has issued a statement of its own. They state that the vessel does not belong to the Russian Federation; however, it is a replica of the Russian frigate built in 1703 by the former Tsar, Peter the Great. The diplomatic office has blamed 'an atmosphere of Russophobia and the notorious 'cancel culture' in all parts of the UK, including Scotland' for the decision. The Consulate statement read: 'We consider this situation as another consequence of the destructive campaign launched by the British authorities aimed at creating an atmosphere of Russophobia and the notorious 'cancel culture' in all parts of the UK, including Scotland. 'The illegitimacy of restrictive measures that contradict international law and common sense is aggravated by the zeal in their implementation taken to the point of absurdity. 'As a result, everything that even remotely resembles Russia is being blocked. In this case, the safety and well-being of seafarers may have also been jeopardised.' Sail Training International has confirmed the Shtandart was due to take part in Race 4 of The Tall Ships Races between Kristiansand, Norway, and Esbjerg, Denmark. However, the vessel was denied entry at both locations in line with current legislation. This resulted in her participation in The Tall Ships Races 2025 being cancelled. They also claim that Mr Martus was 'fully aware of the situation' and that Aberdeen was never a confirmed stop for the Shtandart. The statement read: 'Sail Training International appreciate the difficult position the vessel and her captain find themselves in and we recognise the captain's and his crew's commitment to promoting youth development and to fostering international understanding. 'Sail Training International also fully respects the rulings of the higher national and international authorities and is committed to supporting the local organising teams in each of the ports in upholding existing rulings and legislation.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

‘I had an onion thrown at me': The 10 most unfriendly cities on Earth
‘I had an onion thrown at me': The 10 most unfriendly cities on Earth

Sydney Morning Herald

time30-06-2025

  • Sydney Morning Herald

‘I had an onion thrown at me': The 10 most unfriendly cities on Earth

Riga It was sub-zero in Riga and I'm not just talking about the weather. Stepping off the bus and into a cab in the Latvian capital, I got a frosty reception from the driver, who rolled his sunken eyes when I gave him the address of my hotel. Service with a sigh. He fired up his wheezing Merc and sped through the city, muttering what I assumed to be obscenities beneath his tobacco-stained moustache. Perhaps he'd had a row with the missus, I thought. But his brusque behaviour would prove to be the rule, not the exception. If you think Parisian waiters are surly, go to Riga – they take it to another level. Or rather, they did when I was there. That was a decade ago now. Perhaps it's shaken off its Soviet hangover. I haven't felt compelled to return and find out. Still, one thing I will say is that rude Riga did at least prepare me for my next destination: Russia. Gavin Haines Moscow It is tempting to wonder if the following words are a case of recency bias; a discoloured view of a major city whose current position as the nerve-centre of a truly horrible war has thoroughly tainted its image. But no, my visit to Moscow occurred in the spring of 2017, five years before Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine – when (skipping over the annexation of Crimea in 2014) relations between Russia and western Europe were relatively normal. Yet Moscow did not feel particularly welcoming to this particular Western tourist. The metropolitan population seemed surly and guarded, and while a near-total inability to speak the language will always place you at a disadvantage in any conversation, my attempts at the local lingo made no impression. In 20 years as a travel writer, I have found that liberal deployment of the relevant term for 'thank you' will gain you a decent amount of credit. In the bars, restaurants and museums of Moscow, my use of the word ' spasiba ' elicited barely a grunt, let alone a grin or a cheery response. I should add that I am not indulging in flagrant Russophobia here. I have visited St Petersburg on two occasions, and found it a fabulous place, alive with art and music, and home to some lovely people; everything its compatriot did not seem to be. Perhaps Moscow is simply guilty of the rudeness so common to capital cities. Alas, I am unlikely to have a chance to check on its bonhomie levels (or lack of them) in the imminent future. Chris Leadbeater Geneva Like the mountains that encircle it, Geneva is cold and inhospitable. Once, I made the mistake of offering to pay the brunch bill for myself and a friend. Two mediocre dishes and two even more mediocre drinks set me back almost 100 CHF ($190) – worse than buying a round in London. On the way into town from the airport, I went one stop too far. Realising my mistake, I quickly caught the train in the other direction. The ticket collector was having none of it. My fault, granted, but I was instantly labelled as a fare dodger rather than a bemused tourist. Since so many people are in Geneva for work (rather than the warmth and hospitality of the people), everyone leaves at weekends, meaning there's no one left to be unfriendly to you. The rest of Switzerland is as warm and inviting as a vat of fondue, but I've learnt to skip this city. Anna Richards Amsterdam Amsterdam is, quite literally, the most unwelcoming city to tourists in the sense that it has funded an entire tourism campaign telling us to 'stay away'. Well, OK, telling rowdy stag groups to 'stay away'. Does it feel unwelcoming on the ground? They're not exactly rolling out the red carpet. In 2020, my housemate and I spent a month in Amsterdam. He knew a Dutch woman who lived in the city, and she invited us on a boat trip down the River Amstel with some friends. They were a cheery bunch, between themselves, but I recall being more or less ignored for the entire day. I think more so than being unwelcoming, the Dutch are busy, direct (easily misinterpreted as 'rude'), and they seem to take a little longer to warm up than other nationalities, a bit like the Danish. Fall into the right crowd in, say, Bilbao, London or Vancouver and you could easily make friends for life. Fall into the right crowd in Amsterdam and you'll get a smile and a firm handshake, at best. It's almost enough to make you want to stay away. Greg Dickinson New Orleans New Orleans is hostile. Not just unfriendly – hostile. I hate saying this because I love New Orleans: the most beautiful and hedonistic city in the Americas. One of my favourite cities anywhere. And yet, and yet. The hot, humid air hits you like a slap; everyone seems to require a tip, possibly 55 per cent; every smile feels faintly monetised; and, of course, if you walk two blocks the wrong way, you can get shot. Once, I saw half a body hanging from the ruins of a collapsed hotel – legs dangling grotesquely from the 14th floor. A crowd had gathered. They were arguing over whether anyone should photograph it. Then, for no reason, they turned and stared at me suspiciously – like I was there to judge them – or arrest them. New Orleans parties like it's possessed, and perhaps it is. There's music, madness, decay and menace. I'd go back tomorrow. Sean Thomas New York 'I'm nogunna soive yoo till yoo sayid prawperly,' demanded the lady in the Lower East Side pizza joint. ' You gotta loiyn to tawk ENGLISH! ' I tried several times to convince her that I was saying it properly – 'a bottle of water, please' – and that I actually speak English like, well, a native. Hell, I even resisted the temptation to correct her pronunciation, or to mention the War of 1812, but she remained as implacably granite-faced as old Abe Lincoln and his Mount Rushmore buddies. She couldn't understand me, she insisted, so eventually I caved like Keir on Nato contributions, and asked shamefully for a 'boddler warder'. She gave me a Dasani (tap water bottled by the Coca-Cola company) and a lesson – as if I needed another – in the unofficial motto of Manhattan: 'Welcome to New York. Now screw you!' Ed Grenby Quito From the chatty driver who swept me from the airport in his boom-boom disco taxi, to the street vendor who insisted I try his foamy beer, egg and sugar concoction for free, I found Ecuadorians mostly friendly. Falling foul (or should that be 'fowl') of the 'bird poop trick' on my first day in Quito did dampen my enthusiasm, however. I was admiring the ornate façade of the Iglesia de la Compania when what appeared to be bird droppings was dumped on my back. On the pretext of brushing me down, two crooks tried to steal my backpack. Later, heading back to my hotel, a random loony shouted at me, and that evening I was held up in an alley at knifepoint and had to hand over my phone (luckily a burner). S--- on, shouted at and almost stabbed: that seems like the definition of unfriendly to me. Heidi Fuller-Love Monaco A jet-setter friend once told me that cabin crew quietly judge those who fly business class using credit card points. They'll still do their job, he said, but, deep down, they know you're playing out of your league and judge you accordingly. I remembered his words last year when I attended a climate-friendly, electric alternative to the legendary Grand Prix in Monaco. At first, the standoffishness was quite amusing: seeing the tailcoat-wearing doormen's disdain towards the selfie-stick brigade in Casino Square was more fun than roulette. But soon, it began to grate: from the begrudging table service (usually from French waiters who resent commuting to Monte Carlo in pursuit of scraps from the table) to the power-hungry police officers enforcing the complex network of road closures. After a weekend of butting heads (metaphorically) at every corner, I left with one simple conclusion: Monaco is where billionaires are courted and everyone else is merely tolerated. Robert Jackman Djibouti City A waterside city used as a logistical base for combatting piracy is hardly the coastal escape likely to grace postcards anytime soon. Djibouti, a country within the Horn of Africa, has always intrigued me. Its eponymous capital was the final stop on a tour of beautifully austere and alluringly hostile volcanic landscapes, where sulphur-spluttering fumaroles rise from salt-crusted deserts. Even more inhospitable, however, were the troubled African nation's residents. Outsiders were scrutinised with suspicion: Yemeni refugees clustered in makeshift camps, suspected pirates awaited extradition, and intrepid tourists gulped at the price of beers in incongruously fancy hotels. During one casual evening stroll through streets lined with crumbling buildings, I was chased by a plain-clothes official and accused of being a member of the CIA. But the real low point came with a trip to the local market, where – while snapping a photo of a sleeping cat – I had an onion lobbed at my head. Bombed by a barrage of rotten vegetables, I took solace in the fact it wasn't watermelon season.

‘I had an onion thrown at me': The 10 most unfriendly cities on Earth
‘I had an onion thrown at me': The 10 most unfriendly cities on Earth

The Age

time30-06-2025

  • The Age

‘I had an onion thrown at me': The 10 most unfriendly cities on Earth

Riga It was sub-zero in Riga and I'm not just talking about the weather. Stepping off the bus and into a cab in the Latvian capital, I got a frosty reception from the driver, who rolled his sunken eyes when I gave him the address of my hotel. Service with a sigh. He fired up his wheezing Merc and sped through the city, muttering what I assumed to be obscenities beneath his tobacco-stained moustache. Perhaps he'd had a row with the missus, I thought. But his brusque behaviour would prove to be the rule, not the exception. If you think Parisian waiters are surly, go to Riga – they take it to another level. Or rather, they did when I was there. That was a decade ago now. Perhaps it's shaken off its Soviet hangover. I haven't felt compelled to return and find out. Still, one thing I will say is that rude Riga did at least prepare me for my next destination: Russia. Gavin Haines Moscow It is tempting to wonder if the following words are a case of recency bias; a discoloured view of a major city whose current position as the nerve-centre of a truly horrible war has thoroughly tainted its image. But no, my visit to Moscow occurred in the spring of 2017, five years before Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine – when (skipping over the annexation of Crimea in 2014) relations between Russia and western Europe were relatively normal. Yet Moscow did not feel particularly welcoming to this particular Western tourist. The metropolitan population seemed surly and guarded, and while a near-total inability to speak the language will always place you at a disadvantage in any conversation, my attempts at the local lingo made no impression. In 20 years as a travel writer, I have found that liberal deployment of the relevant term for 'thank you' will gain you a decent amount of credit. In the bars, restaurants and museums of Moscow, my use of the word ' spasiba ' elicited barely a grunt, let alone a grin or a cheery response. I should add that I am not indulging in flagrant Russophobia here. I have visited St Petersburg on two occasions, and found it a fabulous place, alive with art and music, and home to some lovely people; everything its compatriot did not seem to be. Perhaps Moscow is simply guilty of the rudeness so common to capital cities. Alas, I am unlikely to have a chance to check on its bonhomie levels (or lack of them) in the imminent future. Chris Leadbeater Geneva Like the mountains that encircle it, Geneva is cold and inhospitable. Once, I made the mistake of offering to pay the brunch bill for myself and a friend. Two mediocre dishes and two even more mediocre drinks set me back almost 100 CHF ($190) – worse than buying a round in London. On the way into town from the airport, I went one stop too far. Realising my mistake, I quickly caught the train in the other direction. The ticket collector was having none of it. My fault, granted, but I was instantly labelled as a fare dodger rather than a bemused tourist. Since so many people are in Geneva for work (rather than the warmth and hospitality of the people), everyone leaves at weekends, meaning there's no one left to be unfriendly to you. The rest of Switzerland is as warm and inviting as a vat of fondue, but I've learnt to skip this city. Anna Richards Amsterdam Amsterdam is, quite literally, the most unwelcoming city to tourists in the sense that it has funded an entire tourism campaign telling us to 'stay away'. Well, OK, telling rowdy stag groups to 'stay away'. Does it feel unwelcoming on the ground? They're not exactly rolling out the red carpet. In 2020, my housemate and I spent a month in Amsterdam. He knew a Dutch woman who lived in the city, and she invited us on a boat trip down the River Amstel with some friends. They were a cheery bunch, between themselves, but I recall being more or less ignored for the entire day. I think more so than being unwelcoming, the Dutch are busy, direct (easily misinterpreted as 'rude'), and they seem to take a little longer to warm up than other nationalities, a bit like the Danish. Fall into the right crowd in, say, Bilbao, London or Vancouver and you could easily make friends for life. Fall into the right crowd in Amsterdam and you'll get a smile and a firm handshake, at best. It's almost enough to make you want to stay away. Greg Dickinson New Orleans New Orleans is hostile. Not just unfriendly – hostile. I hate saying this because I love New Orleans: the most beautiful and hedonistic city in the Americas. One of my favourite cities anywhere. And yet, and yet. The hot, humid air hits you like a slap; everyone seems to require a tip, possibly 55 per cent; every smile feels faintly monetised; and, of course, if you walk two blocks the wrong way, you can get shot. Once, I saw half a body hanging from the ruins of a collapsed hotel – legs dangling grotesquely from the 14th floor. A crowd had gathered. They were arguing over whether anyone should photograph it. Then, for no reason, they turned and stared at me suspiciously – like I was there to judge them – or arrest them. New Orleans parties like it's possessed, and perhaps it is. There's music, madness, decay and menace. I'd go back tomorrow. Sean Thomas New York 'I'm nogunna soive yoo till yoo sayid prawperly,' demanded the lady in the Lower East Side pizza joint. ' You gotta loiyn to tawk ENGLISH! ' I tried several times to convince her that I was saying it properly – 'a bottle of water, please' – and that I actually speak English like, well, a native. Hell, I even resisted the temptation to correct her pronunciation, or to mention the War of 1812, but she remained as implacably granite-faced as old Abe Lincoln and his Mount Rushmore buddies. She couldn't understand me, she insisted, so eventually I caved like Keir on Nato contributions, and asked shamefully for a 'boddler warder'. She gave me a Dasani (tap water bottled by the Coca-Cola company) and a lesson – as if I needed another – in the unofficial motto of Manhattan: 'Welcome to New York. Now screw you!' Ed Grenby Quito From the chatty driver who swept me from the airport in his boom-boom disco taxi, to the street vendor who insisted I try his foamy beer, egg and sugar concoction for free, I found Ecuadorians mostly friendly. Falling foul (or should that be 'fowl') of the 'bird poop trick' on my first day in Quito did dampen my enthusiasm, however. I was admiring the ornate façade of the Iglesia de la Compania when what appeared to be bird droppings was dumped on my back. On the pretext of brushing me down, two crooks tried to steal my backpack. Later, heading back to my hotel, a random loony shouted at me, and that evening I was held up in an alley at knifepoint and had to hand over my phone (luckily a burner). S--- on, shouted at and almost stabbed: that seems like the definition of unfriendly to me. Heidi Fuller-Love Monaco A jet-setter friend once told me that cabin crew quietly judge those who fly business class using credit card points. They'll still do their job, he said, but, deep down, they know you're playing out of your league and judge you accordingly. I remembered his words last year when I attended a climate-friendly, electric alternative to the legendary Grand Prix in Monaco. At first, the standoffishness was quite amusing: seeing the tailcoat-wearing doormen's disdain towards the selfie-stick brigade in Casino Square was more fun than roulette. But soon, it began to grate: from the begrudging table service (usually from French waiters who resent commuting to Monte Carlo in pursuit of scraps from the table) to the power-hungry police officers enforcing the complex network of road closures. After a weekend of butting heads (metaphorically) at every corner, I left with one simple conclusion: Monaco is where billionaires are courted and everyone else is merely tolerated. Robert Jackman Djibouti City A waterside city used as a logistical base for combatting piracy is hardly the coastal escape likely to grace postcards anytime soon. Djibouti, a country within the Horn of Africa, has always intrigued me. Its eponymous capital was the final stop on a tour of beautifully austere and alluringly hostile volcanic landscapes, where sulphur-spluttering fumaroles rise from salt-crusted deserts. Even more inhospitable, however, were the troubled African nation's residents. Outsiders were scrutinised with suspicion: Yemeni refugees clustered in makeshift camps, suspected pirates awaited extradition, and intrepid tourists gulped at the price of beers in incongruously fancy hotels. During one casual evening stroll through streets lined with crumbling buildings, I was chased by a plain-clothes official and accused of being a member of the CIA. But the real low point came with a trip to the local market, where – while snapping a photo of a sleeping cat – I had an onion lobbed at my head. Bombed by a barrage of rotten vegetables, I took solace in the fact it wasn't watermelon season.

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