Press release on Foreign Ministry’s report on the glorification of Nazism and manifestations of neo-Nazism and racism
The Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation has compiled the latest report on the glorification of Nazism, the proliferation of neo-Nazism and other practices that escalate modern forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (the English translation of the report is available on the Foreign Ministry website). The report has been drawn up in line with Russia’s efforts to preserve the historical truth about the course and outcome of World War II.
Primarily caused by blatant double standards and revanchism, the negative tendencies described in the report become more prominent every year. This year is no exception. Not only have earlier campaigns to falsify history and distort the role of the Soviet Union in securing the Victory over Nazism and creating a modern system of international relations received an impetus, but these campaigns have been openly injected into public discourse. The goal of these strikingly cynical campaigns to revisit history is now stated openly: it is to reverse the roles of the aggressors that launched the biggest war in the history of humanity and practised the ideology of racial exclusivity, and one of the members of the anti-Hitler coalition that made a decisive contribution to achieving the Victory.
There is a significant number of countries today where Nazi collaborators are now honoured as “fighters for independence” of these countries, and where all possible means are used to reshape public opinion to take a different tone. This year, the world witnessed the first case of public ovation to one of such “activists,” at the Canadian Parliament. Radical nationalists and other extremists, who are considered examples of “right patriotism” there, are actively involved in fighting the Russian world and the Soviet memorial legacy. The roles and goals of these countries in the Euro-Atlantic concept of a “rules-based order” are clear. Russia sees increasingly more evidence that the roles played by the officials of these countries are damaging their own people’s interests.
In February 2022, the collective West gained another impetus and motivation to justify its Russophobic activity after Russia started the special military operation to de-Nazify and demilitarise Ukraine and protect the civilian population of Donbass. In reality, the West’s activity took the shape of total discrimination against Russians, which persists to this day.
The exposed tendencies only confirm Russia’s claim that racial discrimination and the glorification of Nazism create a serious threat to the values of true democracy and the protection of human rights, seriously challenging international and regional security.
Importantly, the absolute majority of members of the global community shares Russia’s approaches to countering the glorification of Nazism, as confirmed by the annual overwhelming support of the UN General Assembly Resolution on combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, which Russia and a broad circle of co-authors from all regions of the world submit for consideration every year. The Foreign Ministry relies on the provisions of this resolution when compiling this regular report.
