​​Russia has condemned European leaders’ planned visit to Ukraine to coincide with the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Russian Foreign Intelligenc​e Service, SVR, on Monday said that their preference to take part in events to be held in Ukraine “as an alternative”; was ill-motivated.
The security agency, in a statement, also faulted the European Union’s warning to the member states and candidate countries to shun the Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday.
The SVR accused Europe of pursuing “the ​revanchist approaches”; toward Russia’, and indulging “adventurous initiatives of the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev, despite realizing the threat to its own reputation.”;
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“This is how the decision of the German authorities not to allow the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus to participate in the commemorative events across the country should be interpreted,”; the service noted.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar VuÄić earlier indicated plans to travel to Russia, but Fico has cancelled recent outings, including the Labour Day events, while VuÄić cut short his visit to the United States after falling ill.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs ​and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas​, had said countries who violated the caution against participation in Russia’s events could face consequences.​
Kallas, ​ex-Estonian ​Prime Minister and ​Kremlin critic, urged Europe’s leaders and government representatives to visit Kyiv on May 9 “to show our solidarity and that we are with Ukraine.​”;
In response, Fico vowed to go to Moscow to honour “the thousands of Red Army soldiers who died liberating Slovakia, as well as to the millions of other victims of Nazi terror.”;
