Ukraine appeals to France over Russian flags displayed outside some town halls

Ukrainian diplomats strongly reacted to the appearance of Russian national flags at the town halls of some French cities (including Soisy-sous-Montmorency, Boulogne-sur-Mer, and others).

The flags were installed on the occasion of the anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany and the landing of Allied troops in Normandy.

"The embassy took diplomatic response measures, appealing to the Foreign Ministry of France and also drawing attention of the Elysée Palace to such an unacceptable situation," the Ukrainian Embassy in France told Ukrinform.

"We closely cooperate with Ukrainian activists and are grateful to them for their vigilance and efficiency. And our French partners understand well who sows discord and chaos," diplomats noted.

Recently, the Embassy of Ukraine in France posted on Facebook a statement, in which it strongly disagreed with the actions of some representatives of the French local authorities and drew attention to the fact that the usurpation of history is a favorite weapon of Russian propaganda, which appropriates the feat of millions of soldiers representing other nations, including Ukrainians.

"Russia has no moral right to appropriate the Victory in World War II and exploit it in its hybrid disinformation operations," the embassy said.

"The Kremlin's strategy of distorting history is designed to rally the population around the authoritarian regime and destroy the solidarity of the civilized world in its resistance to Russian aggression. Under Vladimir Putin, especially after the attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014, Moscow began to use the memory of the war as a tool for mobilizing people in a revanchist and aggressive militarized tone," the statement said.

Ukrainian diplomats asked local officials in France to refrain from "flying the national flag of the Russian Federation, which did not exist at the end of World War 2, on the buildings of French town halls and sites commemorating the Allied Victory over Nazi Germany."

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russia has been invited to attend celebrations on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the landing of Allied troops in Normandy in early June, while there is no mention of an invitation for Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.