Ukraine FM slams ‘antisemitism’ of Russians

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Ukraine might nonetheless have Nazi components even when some figures, together with President Volodymry Zelenskyy, had been Jewish.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (File photograph: Reuters)

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba says his Russian counterpart’s latest remarks about Adolf Hitler and Jews reveal “the deeply-rooted antisemitism of the Russian elites.”

In an interview with an Italian information channel, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed that Ukraine might nonetheless have Nazi components even when some figures, together with President Volodymry Zelenskyy, had been Jewish.

“Hitler also had Jewish origins, so it doesn’t mean anything,” he stated, in accordance with an Italian translation.

“Lavrov could not help hiding the deeply rooted antisemitism of the Russian elites,” Kuleba stated in a tweet Monday.

“His heinous remarks are offensive to President Zelenskyy, Ukraine, Israel, and the Jewish people. More broadly, they demonstrate that today’s Russia is full of hatred towards other nations.”