One of Russia’s top narratives is that it invaded Ukraine to “denazify” this multi-ethnic democracy led by a president with Jewish roots and holocaust survivors in his lineage.
When asked how Russia can claim that it is fighting to “de-Nazify” Ukraine when President Volodymyr Zelensky is himself Jewish, Mr Lavrov said: “I could be wrong, but Hitler also had Jewish blood. [That Zelensky is Jewish] means absolutely nothing. Wise Jewish people say that the most ardent anti-Semites are usually Jews.”
The minister’s statement was met with outrage across Israel’s political spectrum.
I get that The Great Patriotic War is a big thing in Russia and fighting Nazis sells well, but I wonder if Lavrov and company ever look at the narrative they’re working on and think “you know, maybe a different narrative would be easier to support”.