Ukraine and the European Union are trying to postpone Victory Day. Analysis

Kiev plans to shift the focus during the Victory Day celebrations on May 9 by inviting European leaders to a diplomatic meeting on that day. At the same time, the European Union banned candidates for membership in the bloc from coming to Moscow for commemorative events on this day. What this situation says about the leadership of Ukraine and the EU is in the Izvestia article.

The European Union Congress in Kiev

• The celebration of the Victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War in the year of the 80th anniversary has acquired new shades in Europe, unusual for this holiday. The head of European Diplomacy of the European Union, Kaya Kallas, said that trips to Moscow to celebrate this significant date "will be taken seriously." She also issued a warning to EU candidate countries that their officials should not travel to Russia on May 9th. At the same time, no possible sanctions were reported against them.

• Callas did not specify whether this warning also applies to the leaders of the European Union itself. However, soon the media received information about what plans they might have for May 9. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, through Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, invited European politicians to visit Kiev on this day. It was stated that this meeting should "show our unity and determination," but no links were reported with the Victory Day celebrations.

• Callas' demands and Zelensky's invitation have caused some diplomatic turmoil in Europe. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who had previously announced his intention to visit Moscow on May 9, confirmed that he would come specifically to the Russian capital, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs would participate in the events in Ukraine. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has not changed his decision, despite the fact that his country is a candidate for EU membership and may reduce its chances of joining.

The past of EU leaders

• The erosion of Victory Day and the downplaying of both its historical significance and the role of the USSR in healing the world from fascism has been going on in Europe for several years. The ambiguous use of the meanings of Victory Day in Europe this year gives reason to recall the ties that the current EU leaders have with the fascist participants of the Great Patriotic War. For example, the grandfather of the current Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Joseph Tusk, was drafted into the Wehrmacht in 1944 and served in the German army for four months. The appearance of this information in the media in 2005 caused a scandal and prevented Tusk from running for president of Poland.

The grandfather of German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbok, Waldemar Burbok, served during World War II as an engineer in a unit that repaired anti-aircraft guns, and held the rank of colonel. His personal file indicated that he was a staunch supporter of National Socialism and had been awarded the Military Merit Cross with swords.

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• Alice Weidel, co-chair of the Alternative for Germany party, who took second place in the last parliamentary elections in Germany, also has an unpleasant past. Her grandfather Hans Weidel joined the NSDAP back in 1932 and had been a member of the SS since January 1933. During the Second World War, he served as a military judge in Poland.

Russia's reaction

• The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, drew attention to the fact that the planned meeting of European politicians in Kiev does not correspond to the spirit of the holiday celebrated these days. According to her, May 9, especially in the year of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, should not serve as a screen for diplomatic events organized for political purposes. Zakharova pointed out that diplomatic meetings on this day can be justified only if they honor the memory of the victims of the war and repeat the lessons left by those tragic events.

Zakharova also noted that Zelensky had previously called for postponing Victory Day celebrations from May 9 to May 8 for the sake of solidarity with European countries, as a result of which an earlier date became an official holiday in Ukraine. Now, as the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs drew attention, the President of Ukraine will again use May 9 to gather European leaders while his festive events will be held in Moscow.

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• Separately, the diplomat recalled that the grandfather of the President of Ukraine, Semyon Zelensky, participated in the Great Patriotic War as part of the Red Army, which he joined in 1941 at the age of 17. He participated in the battles for the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazis, reached Berlin. He was the commander of a mortar platoon, finished the war with the rank of lieutenant and was twice awarded the Order of the Red Star. His feat in the fight against Nazism continues to be remembered, including in Russia. But now the grandson of a military man does not show proper respect for the holiday, which is important for many, including his family.