The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova commented on her Telegram channel on the upcoming celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in World War II.
The reason for the anger of the Russian diplomat was the information that appeared that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky plans to welcome European leaders in Kiev on May 9, which is interpreted by Moscow as "an attempt to divert attention from the Victory Parade in Russia". Delegations from all over the world are expected in the Russian capital, and the head of the EU diplomatic service, Kaia Kallas, has already warned the member states of the union and the candidate countries of "consequences" if they accept Putin's invitation.
Here is her full statement:
"Vladimir Zelensky's grandfather, Semyon Ivanovich, went through the entire war in the ranks of the Red Army, fought for the liberation of Europe from Nazism and reached Berlin so that we could get rid of this plague forever.
His feat is part of our common history, which Russia honors and remembers.
But what did his grandson choose?
Neo-Nazi marches, rewriting history, demands for weapons of war - this is his "legacy".
Where will he go citizen Zelensky on May 9? To his grandfather's grave or to the Bandera monument?".
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A FACT reference shows that Semyon Ivanovich Zelensky was born on May 5, 1924. in Krivoy Rog and died in his hometown on June 10, 1993. He is the father of Volodymyr Zelensky's father - Alexander, who is a professor at the Institute of Economics in the same city.
During World War II, Semyon Zelensky was the commander of a mortar platoon, and then the commander of the 174th rifle company of the 57th Guards Rifle Division. In 1944, he received two Orders of the Red Star. He finished the war with the rank of Guards Lieutenant.
After the end of World War II, S. I. Zelensky transferred to the service in the USSR Internal Affairs bodies. He held the position of deputy head of the criminal investigation department of the Krivoy Rog police department. Retired with the rank of colonel.