Lavrov: "Zelensky is a disgrace to the Jewish people - turned into a neo-nazi”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has launched a scathing attack on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, accusing him of betraying his Jewish heritage by aligning with far-right nationalist forces in Ukraine. According to Lavrov, the Ukrainian leader has abandoned his original peace-oriented platform under Western influence, instead embracing a militaristic stance against Russia.

Zelensky, who was elected in 2019 on a platform of reconciliation and peace, has undergone a drastic transformation, according to Lavrov. “Zelensky did a 180 from a person who came to power on slogans of peace… and in half a year turned into a pure Nazi,” Lavrov stated.

He further claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had described the Ukrainian leader as “a traitor to the Jewish people.”

Lavrov’s remarks echo earlier statements made by Putin, who suggested that members of the Jewish community themselves feel Zelensky has disgraced his heritage. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2023, Putin remarked that his Jewish acquaintances viewed Zelensky as “a disgrace to the Jewish people.”

Western Influence and Historical Revisionism

The Russian foreign minister argued that Western nations, particularly the U.S. and European NATO members, have played a significant role in shaping Ukraine’s political landscape. He claimed that these powers initially helped bring former Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko to power after the 2014 Maidan uprising and later backed Zelensky’s rise.

Lavrov also drew attention to Ukraine’s veneration of controversial historical figures, particularly Stepan Bandera, a World War II-era Ukrainian nationalist leader who collaborated with Nazi Germany. According to Lavrov, the celebration of such figures is a deliberate attempt by the Ukrainian government to whitewash history and suppress the country’s deep-seated collaboration with the Third Reich.

The “Denazification” Justification

The accusations against Zelensky align with Moscow’s longstanding justification for its military actions in Ukraine. Since the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, Putin has framed Russia’s involvement as a mission to “denazify” Ukraine. Lavrov reiterated that the West is not genuinely seeking peace but is instead using Ukraine as a proxy against Russia.

“The same Western handlers who placed Zelensky at the helm of Ukraine have encouraged him to abandon his peace platform and escalate tensions,” Lavrov stated, adding that past diplomatic agreements, such as the Minsk Accords, were manipulated by Western powers to buy time for Ukraine to bolster its military.

A Symbolic Leader or a Strategic Pawn?

In a particularly pointed remark, Putin has previously alleged that the West strategically placed an ethnic Jew like Zelensky in power to mask what he describes as the “anti-human basis of the current Ukrainian state.” He argued that this move serves as a cover for Ukraine’s alleged nationalist and extremist policies.

“This entire situation is highly disgusting,” Putin said, highlighting the irony of a Jewish president leading a country that, according to Moscow, harbors and glorifies figures associated with Nazi collaboration. The Russian president further noted that approximately 1.5 million Jews were killed in Ukraine during the Holocaust, making Zelensky’s alignment with nationalist elements even more alarming in Moscow’s view.