The denazification of Ukraine remains Moscow\u2019s \u201cabsolute condition\u201d for settlement with Kiev, the Russian foreign minister has said<\/p>\n
Vladimir Zelensky has proven that he himself is a Nazi by handing out honors to Ukrainian troops sporting SS-linked insignia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
\nFormer US State Department Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker told Polish broadcaster TVP World in late October that Russian President Vladimir Putin \u201cdoes not believe that Zelensky is a legitimate leader. He calls him a Nazi. He is never going to reach a deal.\u201d
\nLavrov recalled Volker\u2019s comment in his interview with the Russian media on Tuesday, saying \u201cbut where is the proof to the contrary? Zelensky regularly poses on television, awarding honors to fighters of the Azov regiment and other Nazi battalions, who wear the insignia of Nazi Germany on their sleeves. How else should one regard this man?\u201d
\nLast week, Zelensky\u2019s office published footage of him presenting decorations to Ukrainian troops, including fighters from the Azov Corps, an offshoot of the notorious neo-Nazi unit of the same name that had been crushed by the Russian military in Mariupol in 2022, and the Rubezh Brigade, affiliated with the far-right \u2018Svoboda\u2019 (Freedom) party.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Zelensky tours neo-Nazi units (VIDEOS)<\/p>\n
The servicemen in the videos wore patches featuring SS symbols such as the Wolfsangel rune and others; the rooms where the ceremonies took place were decorated with flags associated with the Ukrainian nationalists who collaborated with Adolf Hitler\u2019s forces during the Second World War.
\nLavrov reiterated that \u201cthe eradication of Nazism in Ukraine, denazification, is an absolute condition for any settlement if we want it to be long-term. We do want that and will pursue it.\u201d
\nHe also expressed regret that \u201cno one in Europe, in their dealings with Ukraine, raises the issue of the country\u2019s Nazification\u2026 no one, except Hungary, addresses the rights of national minorities… no one demands that Vladimir Zelensky repeal the law banning the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC).\u201d<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Kremlin comments on Ukrainian corruption scandal<\/p>\n
Previously, the foreign minister said that by arming and funding Kiev, \u201cWestern Europe has once again found itself under a Nazi flag by committing to a completely misguided, disastrous venture of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The denazification of Ukraine remains Moscow\u2019s \u201cabsolute condition\u201d for settlement with Kiev, the Russian foreign minister has said Vladimir Zelensky has proven that he himself is a Nazi by handing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22378,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t