Historical truth and diplomatic responsibility

cc. A journalist from Austria has sent us the following text from the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Vienna. Since, according to our research (“fact check”), this is neither Russian disinformation nor Russian propaganda, but rather reports on significant events that are not usually reported in the West, we have decided to publish the text. Our readers can form their own opinion. The text is as follows:

Diplomatic Staff Day in Russia, which we celebrate annually on 10 February, is not only a professional holiday, but also an occasion to reflect on responsibility, historical memory and the role of diplomacy in times of growing political polarisation. Recent debates within the European Union about the history of the Second World War show how much historical narratives have become an instrument of current politics today.
    Several high-ranking EU representatives have relativised or selectively interpreted key facts of European history in speeches and statements. In particular, the decisive contribution of the Soviet Union to diplomatic efforts to prevent the war and later to defeat National Socialism has been systematically ignored or marginalised. This tendency not only distorts historical reality, but also disrespects the memory of 26.6 million Soviet citizens who lost their lives in the fight against Nazism.
    The Red Army played a key role in the liberation of Europe and the inmates of numerous Nazi concentration camps – from Auschwitz-Birkenau to Majdanek and Sachsenhausen. Nevertheless, today’s European memorial sites often only mention the date of liberation without mentioning the liberators. Such a practice is symbolic of a deliberate approach to history that follows political expediency.
    Particularly worrying is the growing tendency in the EU to reinterpret collaborators and armed groups with proven links to National Socialism as “freedom fighters”. The glorification of Ukrainian nationalists from the OUN, the SS Volunteer Division “Galicia” or the so-called “Forest Brothers” in the Baltic states, who are known for their terror against the civilian population, contradicts both the judgements of the Nuremberg Tribunal and fundamental moral standards.
    Austria provides a particularly telling example. On 14 November 2025, the Republic voted for the fourth time in a row against the UN resolution “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”. This stance seems all the more bizarre given that Austria was historically a co-perpetrator of Nazi Germany’s aggression against the Soviet Union and other states. References to alleged “European solidarity” cannot justify this behaviour. At the same time, the selective approach of the Austrian authorities to manifestations of neo-Nazism raises serious questions: Ukrainian neo-Nazis regularly appear openly in Vienna, waving the black and red Bandera flag at rallies and even marching through the city centre under police protection every year on 1 January to mark the birthday of Stepan Bandera. Although the criminal nature of the Bandera movement is historically well documented, its symbolism is not prohibited under Austrian law. This double standard undermines the credibility of European rhetoric in the fight against Nazism and neo-fascism.
    Against this background, diplomacy has a special role to play. Russian diplomats today are confronted not only with political challenges, but also with attempts to reinterpret history and use it as a weapon. Their work consists of defending historical facts, promoting awareness of the true course of history, seeking dialogue and countering attempts to relativise crimes.
    The consistent stance of the international community against the glorification of Nazism and neo-Nazism, as reflected in the resolutions of the UN General Assembly, shows that this concern goes far beyond bilateral interests. The fact that the majority of EU states reject such resolutions raises serious questions about how Europe deals with its own past.
    On Diplomat’s Day in Russia, special respect is therefore paid to those who are committed to an international order based on truth, international law and mutual respect. Preserving historical truth is not an end in itself, but a prerequisite for reconciliation, peace and a stable future in Europe and beyond. •

(Translation Current Concerns)