Slovakian MP outraged that Zelenskyy, not Russia, was invited to Auschwitz commemoration

Andrej Danko, Deputy Speaker of the Slovak Parliament, who recently paid a visit to Moscow, has complained about Russia not being invited to the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp.

The Slovak deputy speaker said on Telegram he was offended that "Germans and the Bandera supporter Zelenskyy were sitting in the front row during the ceremony," while Russia was not even invited. [Stepan Bandera was a Ukrainian nationalist leader and a key figure in the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), known for his efforts to achieve Ukrainian independence, particularly during World War II. He is viewed as a hero by Ukrainians for his fight against Soviet and Polish domination, while Russian propaganda dubs him a Nazi and uses this image to justify the invasion of Ukraine – ed.]

"These are the times we live in, dear friends. Yesterday, at the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, Germans and Bandera fan Zelenskyy were sitting in the front row, while the Russians were not invited. History is being distorted, they say one thing and do another," Danko wrote.

Sergei Andreyev, the Russian Ambassador to Poland, had said ahead of the ceremonies marking the anniversary that Russian diplomats would not be attending.

Danko, who is chairman of the Slovak National Party, recently spent several days in Russia.

Announcing the trip to Russia, Danko said that he would "consider it an honour" to have the opportunity to make a speech at the State Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament.