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Israeli politicians ignored problems of neo-Nazism in Ukraine for years, diplomat says

Moscow has repeatedly drawn attention of all countries to these problems, Maria Zakharova noted

MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. Israeli politicians have been turning a blind eye to the issues of neo-Nazism in Ukraine for years, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Russian TV Wednesday.

"Russian [Foreign] Minister [Sergey Lavrov] pointed out the State of Israel’s years-long indifference to the situation regarding the resurgence of neo-Nazi ideology in Ukraine. We see it, and we have repeatedly drawn the attention of all countries, including Israel, to this problem," she specified.

"One can endlessly split hairs over words and phrases. So why not use the same vigor to find fault with the Nazi literature that circulates and is being disseminated among nationalist battalions? Why not find fault with Azov’s insignia? Why not find fault with the swastika and other fascist insignia tattoos that have become commonplace among nationalist battalions? Why have Israeli politicians become immune to this for years, and why hasn’t it sparked any outrage among them?" Zakharova argued.

Speaking in an interview with Rete 4 on Sunday, Lavrov laid out Russia’s fundamental positions regarding the events in Ukraine, noting that Kiev, with Washington’s support, does not desire to continue negotiations. The top diplomat also pointed out false information disseminated by Western media and explained a number of decisions made by the Russian leadership. He also commented on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s claim that there can be no "Nazification" in Ukraine, because its chief of state is a Jew. In response, Lavrov alleged that, while he may be mistaken, Hitler also had “Jewish blood”. His remarks have reverberated in a number of countries. Russian Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar has suggested that the foreign minister acknowledge that he was mistaken, which could help settle the incident.

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova

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