Germany Threatens to Bar Russian Ambassador From WW2 Memorials
In a move sparking diplomatic backlash, German authorities have threatened to bar Russian Ambassador Sergey Nechayev from participating in Victory Day commemorations on German soil, citing Berlin’s ongoing policy of isolating Russian officials over the Ukraine conflict.
The controversy comes ahead of May 9, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany—a date of immense cultural and historical significance for Russia.
German Memorials Closed to Russians
Ambassador Nechayev and his Belarusian counterpart laid wreaths on Monday at the Seelow Heights Memorial in Brandenburg, near the site of one of the most decisive WWII battles. Their appearance drew an immediate rebuke from memorial director Prof. Axel Drecoll, who warned that Russia’s participation would be physically blocked if necessary.
“We have banned the Russian Embassy from all anniversaries since the attack on Ukraine,” Drecoll told Bild.“If the ambassador comes anyway, we will enforce house rules with the help of security forces.”
The German Foreign Ministry and top Brandenburg officials have supported the move, issuing formal advice to all organizers to exclude Russian and Belarusian diplomats from public WWII memorial events.
Moscow Responds: “Russophobia Revealed”
In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Berlin’s actions as deeply disrespectful and ideologically motivated:
“The German Foreign Ministry has unmasked itself to reveal the ugliness of Russophobia and the hallmarks of Nazism,” she said.
Nechayev himself was defiant, stating that no invitation is needed to honor fallen Soviet soldiers on public land:
We do not need permission to commemorate the Red Army and the victims of Nazism,..... Victory Day belongs not to politicians, but to history and the people.
Wreaths Laid Despite Political Pressure
Despite Berlin’s objections, Nechayev and diplomats from other former Soviet republics laid wreaths on Wednesday at the Soviet military cemetery in Potsdam, reportedly without incident. The ambassador noted that many Germans attended the ceremony, expressing gratitude for the Soviet liberation from the Nazi regime.
“I am very glad that the German public, in spite of the bans, still honors the memory of the Red Army and upholds the correct culture of remembrance,” Nechayev told TASS.
A Symbolic Clash Over Memory and Identity
The growing tension reflects deeper divides over historical memory and geopolitical narratives. While Germany frames the exclusion of Russian diplomats as a political response to the Ukraine war, Russia views it as a disturbing break from the legacy of WWII and an insult to Soviet sacrifice.
The events underscore how commemorations once shared by East and West are now politically charged arenas, where the past is weaponized to shape today’s conflicts.