Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha warned Ukrainians abroad about Russian actions on May 9.
The Foreign Minister published the address on his Facebook page.
The official noted that soon Ukraine and the world will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe and the victory over Nazism. And for Ukraine, this date is extremely important.
"We must not let Russia steal our memory, appropriate a collective victory, or manipulate history in order to justify aggression and crimes against our state and people. This date is extremely important for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. World War II affected every Ukrainian family, every city, village, and community. Each of our families cherishes the memory of the heroes and victims of that terrible time. The front swept through the entire territory of Ukraine twice. At least eight million Ukrainians died, including 5 million civilians and 3 million military personnel. Among the victims on Ukrainian soil are one and a half million Jews killed during the Holocaust, which is about a quarter of all Jews in Europe killed by the Nazis during the Shoah," said Sybiha.
But he emphasized that Ukraine categorically rejects the cynicism of the Russian Federation, which is trying to appropriate the feat of victory for itself.
"Ukraine's contribution to the defeat of Nazism is undeniable and cannot be questioned or belittled by anyone. More than six million Ukrainians fought in the ranks of the Red Army, hundreds of thousands in the resistance movements and the armies of the allies of the anti-Hitler coalition. This great victory, peace and freedom of Europe were also won with great Ukrainian blood. That is why we categorically reject the cynicism of Moscow, which is today trying to appropriate this feat and use it to justify aggression against our state and atrocities against our people," the head of the department noted.
The minister urged Ukrainians not to participate in any events organized by the Kremlin:
"I call on all our communities, all Ukrainians abroad, on these memorable dates not to participate in any events organized by modern aggressors — Russia and its accomplice in the crime of aggression, Belarus. It is not worth celebrating this anniversary alongside Russians or Belarusians or legitimizing symbols of aggression, such as the "St. George's Ribbon" and others. I call on you to ignore such events, not to give them the attention they do not deserve. Avoid actions that may create additional "advertisement" for Russian propagandists.
During these days, it is better to draw attention to Ukraine, to our memory, to our role in the victory over Nazism. Emphasize that Ukraine defends peace and freedom in Europe, even now, when Russian aggression has once again put them at risk. Follow the advice of Ukrainian embassies and consulates in your countries on how to celebrate these memorable days and counteract Russian propaganda. I urge everyone to be active, participate in Ukrainian events, and convey the truth to foreigners about Ukraine's role in the victory over Nazism and Russia's modern manipulations.
We also call on partners not to support Russian-inspired propaganda campaigns in their countries and to respond to them adequately.
Memory is not primarily about numbers. Millions of victims and heroes are not statistics. It is about people. About people who had names and lives. Memory is preserved primarily in themselves and for themselves, proving this with concrete actions today. We should not denigrate it by tolerating the Soviet-Russian "great patriotic lie". We are not talking about parades, but about people. About memory, not manipulation. About peace, not war."
Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that on May 9, the Russian army will march through Red Square in Moscow , the "achievements" of which include the execution of civilians, mass graves, rape, looting, detention of civilian hostages, torture and execution of prisoners of war, use of indiscriminate weapons, and strikes on densely populated residential areas, energy, and civilian infrastructure.