Berlin Mayor bans Russian flags in the city and offers protection to Ukrainian community
Ambassador of Ukraine to Berlin compares atrocities of Russian troops in Ukraine to Nazi crimes
The ruling mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, commented on the ban of Russian symbols near Soviet monuments in the city and its surroundings in connection with the end of World War II in Europe, which is celebrated on 8-9 May.
"Today we celebrate 8 May, the day of liberation, the day the war ended. And the flags of countries that are waging a war of aggression right now should not be displayed here," Wegner said, answering a question from a DW correspondent.
He added that the Berlin police would be on duty at the monuments and make sure that there were no provocations.
The day before, the Berlin police issued an order stating that on 8 and 9 May, Russian flags, St. George's ribbons, uniforms, orders, military and marching orders, as well as symbols glorifying Russia's war against Ukraine, including the Z symbol, are prohibited on the territory of the memorials in Treptow, Tiergarten and Schönholzer Heide parks and in the immediate vicinity of them.
Wegner and Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany Oleksiy Makeev laid flowers at the Neue Wach memorial in Berlin, a place of remembrance for victims of war and tyranny.
"I have already told the Mayor of Berlin that today the war is in Ukraine. And what the Russians are doing is the same atrocities that Ukrainians faced during World War II," Makieiev said in an interview with DW.
The Ukrainian diplomat added that by laying flowers at the memorial, he honoured the contribution of Ukrainians to the victory over Nazism, as well as the contribution that "Ukrainians are making to the victory over the new – Russian – Nazism".
He also stated that the head of the Berlin police offered protection to the Ukrainian community during the 8 and 9 May demonstrations. Makieiev called for reporting provocations by demonstrators with Soviet and Russian symbols to law enforcement agencies. Such symbols, as well as "slogans such as 'we can pavtarit' and other 'genocidal statements' should not take place in the city of freedom, which is Berlin," the Ukrainian ambassador stressed.
Background. As reported, Petro Poroshenko called on Germany not to pay money to Ukrainian men who left Ukraine. He suggests that the money should be transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces instead.
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