Russia launches Nazi smear campaign against famous Swedes as it considers joining NATO | The world | News
Posters have appeared at bus stops in Russia, following controversial comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that “Hitler had Jewish blood” and Putin’s justification for his invasion of Ukraine by claiming that their government is neo-Nazi.
They represent famous Swedes, such as the author Astrid Lindgren who created the Pippi Longstocking books, Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad and film director Ingmar Bergman with the slogan “We are against Nazism, they are not” written in the Cyrillic alphabet.
The word “we” is marked in red, white and blue in the Russian flag, while “they” is in yellow and blue in the Swedish flag.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry claimed that the posters were a work of the Russian group ‘Our Victory’ and said: “‘We have no intention of participating in a public polemic with the Russian organization’ Our Victory ‘, which is reportedly behind these posters.”
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson called the smear campaign “completely unacceptable”.
The Russian embassy in Stockholm has retaliated with its own posters, which read in Cyrillic: “Dear checkists (sic) and other employees of the Russian embassy. Is it difficult for you to go to work?
“Do you feel ashamed at the end of the day? It may soon be too late to quit.
“Contact us for a consultation on political asylum. Coffee on us! “
Sweden’s former Prime Minister Carl Bildt believes that Moscow’s actions will “further strengthen support for Sweden joining NATO” after decades of political neutrality, the Daily Mail reported.
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“If I am to make a qualified guess, it is aimed at the Russian population but also with the aim of reaching Swedes.”
Russia has also accused Israel of supporting neo-Nazis in Ukraine, after doubling its “unforgivable” comments about Hitler’s alleged Jewish origins.
Since President Zelensky himself is a Jew, Foreign Minister Lavrov caused a stir when he said: “I think Hitler also had Jewish origins, so it means nothing.
“For a long time now we have heard the wise Jewish people say that the greatest anti-Semites are the Jews themselves.”