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"Tens of thousands of former SS members continue to receive social support from the German budget"
Former members of the SS and other criminal organizations continue to receive social support from the German state budget. This was stated by the Russian ambassador to Berlin, Sergey Nechaev, in an interview with Izvestia. The Russian Federation regularly touches on this topic, including in the context of demands to extend German payments to all the living besiegers of Leningrad. At the same time, Germany is trying to gloss over and blur the decisive role of the Red Army in defeating Nazism. In addition, individual acts of vandalism are still recorded there: in 2024 there were 18 of them, in the first quarter of this year — three. Sergey Nechaev spoke in an interview with Izvestia about events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, discrimination against Russians, prospects for relations with the future government of Germany and negotiations on Nord Streams.
"The feat of the Soviet soldier is still remembered and honored here"
— Exactly 80 years ago, on April 16, 1945, the Berlin Offensive began, which became the final battle of the Great Patriotic War. Does the Russian Embassy in Germany hold any events on the occasion of this historic event?
— It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Berlin offensive operation. As it is sung in a famous song: "The last fight is the hardest one." It was during this strategic operation that the Red Army finally broke the back of German Nazism, took Berlin, hoisted the Banner of Victory over the Reichstag and forced the Hitlerite regime to recognize complete and unconditional surrender.
The Embassy and other Russian foreign institutions in Germany, of course, will not ignore this historic event. On April 16, together with colleagues from the CIS countries, compatriots, representatives of local authorities, and friendly German public organizations, we will hold a traditional commemorative event at the Seelow Heights Memorial located in Brandenburg. We will lay wreaths and flowers at the monument to Soviet soldiers in Frankfurt an der Oder. We are planning a Road to Berlin campaign, in which Russian diplomats and students from the embassy's school will follow the Red Army routes from the Oder to Berlin, visit graves and memorials, and worship the graves of their heroic ancestors.
Berlin offensive operation of the Red Army during World War II, April-May 1945
— There is less than a month left before the Victory Day celebration. At the same time, the Berliner Zeitung newspaper recently reported on a circular from the German Foreign Ministry prescribing that official representatives of Russia and Belarus should not be invited to events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Does the Russian Embassy in Germany see attempts by the German authorities to disrupt the march of the "Immortal Regiment", as well as memorial actions with the participation of Russian officials and compatriots?
— The recommendations of the German Foreign Ministry, as it follows from the local press, to the land and municipal authorities to refuse to invite official Russian and Belarusian representatives to events on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Germany from Nazism are regrettable and do not honor the authors of this venture. Let it remain on their conscience. Considerations of the current political situation should not dominate the issues of historical memory and historical reconciliation of the peoples of our countries. We do not need a special invitation to honor the memory of Soviet soldiers-liberators and victims of Nazism, to celebrate Victory Day. All planned events, including the Immortal Regiment march, will be implemented. We hope that they will not be overshadowed by senseless provocations.
We also strongly urge the German authorities to abandon the vicious practice of recent years related to bans on displaying Victory symbols, state flags of the USSR and Russia during solemn memorial actions.
At the same time, I would like to note that many representatives of local authorities, municipalities, especially in the East German lands, public organizations, and ordinary citizens are ready to invite Russian delegations to participate with us in assignments and other events, despite all the "recommendations" they receive. So we should share the position of the so-called political mainstream and the citizens of Germany. The feat of the Soviet soldier is still remembered and honored here.
Monument to Soviet soldiers on the Seelow Heights in Germany
— There are thousands of graves of Soviet soldiers in Germany. In your opinion, how do the country's authorities handle their protection and care? Are new cases of vandalism being reported?
— There are more than 4 thousand graves on the territory of Germany, in which more than 700 thousand Soviet soldiers are buried. We are grateful to the local authorities and community activists for ensuring proper care of the graves and memorials, constant monitoring of their condition, and carrying out repairs. On the whole, the German side faithfully fulfills its obligations under the relevant intergovernmental agreement. We maintain close contacts with the German People's Union for the Care of War Graves, the land and municipal authorities, and law enforcement agencies. We do not fix any problems in this area. Unfortunately, there are some acts of vandalism at the graves. There were 18 of them in 2024, and three in the first quarter of this year. Each time, the consequences are promptly eliminated by the German structures.
"The reparations covered only about 5% of the material damage"
— In recent years, anti-Russian sentiments have sharply increased in Germany, which are actively fueled by the ruling elites. Does the Russian Embassy record attempts in Germany to rewrite the history of World War II against this background? If so, what is it expressed in?
The ruins of Nuremberg, 1945
— This finds expression in attempts to conceal and gradually blur the basic concepts, first of all, the decisive role of the Red Army in defeating Nazism and liberating the world from the "brown plague", as well as the colossal sacrifices of the Soviet people laid on the altar of Victory. In recent years, the topic of German responsibility has been preferred to focus mainly on the crimes of the Holocaust. The terrible atrocities of the Third Reich and its accomplices, which were committed on the territory of the Soviet Union as part of the war of annihilation, including the siege of Leningrad, the German authorities refuse to recognize as genocide and actively try not to remember.
It is often suggested that Germany has "paid for" everything with reparations. However, it is not mentioned that the reparations covered only about 5% of the material damage inflicted on the Soviet Union during the war, and were voluntarily stopped by us.
There are attempts to divide Soviet victims along ethnic lines. The genesis of the Second World War is often replaced by the message of "equal responsibility of totalitarian regimes," and the history of the post—war period is replaced by references to the alleged replacement of one dictatorship (Nazi) by another (Soviet). The process of post-war reconciliation between the peoples of our countries is being forgotten, as well as gratitude to the Soviet people who abandoned their feelings of hatred for yesterday's enemy and extended a hand of friendship and assistance to the German people in post-war reconstruction.
This is reflected, among other things, in the aforementioned attempts to excommunicate Russians and Belarusians from joint commemoration ceremonies. The recent decision of the German Foundation for Memory, Responsibility and the Future— another symbol of Russian-German reconciliation, to suspend the membership of Russia and Belarus in its Board of Trustees is outrageous. We see a creeping shift in local museum exhibitions, where the feat of the Soviet soldier is being "rethought" in the spirit of current political realities.
A Soviet tank on one of the streets of liberated Berlin against the background of the inscription "Berlin will be German", April 26, 1945
— Publications regularly appear in the media reporting that Germany, 80 years after the end of World War II, continues to pay pensions to some Nazi henchmen and collaborators in various parts of Europe. Is this really the case? How do the German authorities react to this? Is Russia discussing this issue with the German side?
— Yes, this information is true. Throughout the existence of Germany, tens of thousands of former members of the SS and other criminal organizations have received and continue to receive social support from the state budget in the status of so-called victims of the war. Berlin's position on this issue boils down to the fact that if former SS members receive these payments today, it is because of the damage caused to their health during their military service, and not because they belong to the SS. The Russian side regularly touches on this topic, including in the context of demands for the extension of German payments to all the living besiegers of Leningrad without separation on the basis of nationality. Currently, compensation is paid only to persons of Jewish nationality. Otherwise, it turns out that among the recipients of German pensions there are legionnaires of the Spanish "Blue Division" who took a direct part in the siege of Leningrad, but the besiegers themselves are not.
"Russia's interests will have to be taken into account"
— Germany is home to Europe's largest Russian diaspora. Are our compatriots currently facing cases of discrimination on national grounds? If so, what is it expressed in? How do the authorities react to this and does the embassy help the victims?
The Russian House in Berlin
— The wave of Russophobia that swept Germany in the first months after the outbreak of its conflict in Ukraine is now gradually fading, although there is no need to talk about the complete eradication of discrimination. The activities of the Russian House in Berlin and organizations of Russian compatriots are carried out under relentless information and psychological pressure from the political and media mainstream. There is a creeping stigmatization of Russian-speaking people as the Kremlin's "fifth column", "potential recruitment targets for Russian special services." The Russian Germans are in the zone of special attention, which is not even hidden by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Individual activists were criminally prosecuted, as a rule, under Article 140 of the German Criminal Code ("Encouragement and approval of crimes") for publicly denying the "criminal" nature of their activities in Ukraine and posting on social networks in support of Russia's actions. We provide them with the necessary consular and legal support.
Since January 1, 2023, the Center for Legal Support of Compatriots has been operating in Berlin, providing legal assistance on a wide range of issues, including cases of discrimination based on nationality and language. In 2024, the Center processed 1,700 requests in the form of phone calls, instant messengers, emails, and personal requests.
In terms of providing qualified legal and consulting support to compatriots, the section "We have the right! – Human Rights Protection Online" on the Internet portal of the Coordinating Council of Organizations of Russian Compatriots "Russian Field". It gives you the opportunity to ask questions to a lawyer and get a free initial consultation. Experts' comments on the reviewed cases are published on the website. Over 400,000 people from more than 100 countries visit the resource annually. Taking into account social networks, there are more than 1.1 million people.
— On April 9, 2025, the CDU/CSU and the SPD signed a coalition agreement stating that Russia poses the "greatest threat" to Germany and the future government intends to adhere to the sanctions regime against it. At the same time, you stated earlier that the Russian Federation is ready to work with the German government. How does Russia intend to build a dialogue with the new Cabinet of the Federal Republic of Germany with this attitude of the authorities?
— I can repeat that we are ready to work with the government, with all the legitimate political forces of Germany, which represent the German voters, who were chosen by the German people. "Burning bridges," ending dialogue, expulsions, closing diplomatic missions, and abandoning unique formats of bilateral cooperation are not our path. To break is not to build. We will judge the new cabinet of Ministers by deeds, not by pre-election rhetoric. We hope that Berlin will draw certain conclusions and will not want to repeat the mistakes of the previous coalition. It is obvious to everyone that the proclaimed "change of epochs" in relation to Russia has not only failed, but has also brought Germany to a dead end. Attempts to inflict a "strategic defeat" on the Russian Federation, destabilize it from within, stifle it with sanctions, and issue ultimatums — all this does not work. Russia's interests will have to be taken into account.
"The Russian market is still extremely important for Germans"
— Does Moscow see any signals from German businesses that left the Russian Federation after the start of their military operations about their desire to return to the Russian market? In your opinion, how much has Germany lost from EU sanctions over the past three years?
— We did not expel anyone from our market. The pressure on their own businesses was exerted by Western capitals, both through threats and an incredible number of sanctions, which created tangible obstacles in the work of economic operators. At the same time, only a small number of companies with German participation finally left the Russian market. The rest continued their activities in the same format or announced the suspension of new projects. Someone handed over the management to the local management, retaining the right to buy back. This shows that the Russian market is still extremely important for Germans, despite the notorious primacy of politics over the interests of the national economy.
Germany's losses from an ideologically motivated course amount to tens of billions of euros. We are talking about direct losses from the curtailment of foreign trade cooperation, as well as lost profits and the consequences of short-sighted steps for our own economy. The situation is eloquently illustrated by the ongoing recession, largely caused by uncompetitive electricity prices, creeping deindustrialization, and the departure of industrial plants and highly qualified personnel to foreign jurisdictions. It has been emphasized more than once that Russia is open to resuming an equal, constructive partnership with all participants in foreign economic activity, but it will be guided primarily by national interests and the interests of its economic operators.
— At the end of March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow and Washington were discussing the topic of Nord Streams and restoring normal energy supplies to Europe. Are there any discussions with Russia about the possible launch of SP–2 in Germany?
The port of Mukran on the island of Rügen in Germany is the logistics center of Nord Stream 2, where pipes for the construction of the gas pipeline are stored.
— First of all, I would like the German side to do its homework and complete the investigation of terrorist attacks on the largest European energy infrastructure facility. It has been going on for more than two and a half years, and who is still there.
As for using the surviving Nord Stream 2 pipeline to supply Russian gas, the Russian president has repeatedly publicly indicated that this is possible. There are no obstacles on our side. The political will of the German leadership is needed. This is more difficult. Berlin continues to talk about its unwillingness to become energy dependent on Russia again. In this regard, I would like to remind you that while Germany was in "Russian dependence," things were going exceptionally well. As soon as the Germans managed to escape from the "shackles" of cheap Russian energy, big problems began, which continue to this day.
We know from the media about the interest of American investors in restoring gas supplies to Europe via Nord Streams. There have been no appeals to us through official diplomatic channels on this issue.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
