Serbian president labels banning Russia from Auschwitz ceremony as ‘perverted’
Aleksandar Vucic described the act of disregarding the liberators of the Nazi death camp, while seemingly welcoming the Germans, as “perverted and inverted.” Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has commented on the exclusion of Russians from the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, highlighting a significant issue he perceives within the West.
The 332nd Rifle Division of the Red Army liberated the Nazi death camp located in southern Poland on January 27, 1945, freeing approximately 7,000 surviving prisoners.
“Soon you will have the ceremony marking the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp,” Vucic stated to Serbian media on Wednesday while attending the UN General Assembly in New York. He pointed out, “Those who liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Russians, won’t be invited. I presume that those who had the camp built will be invited. Everything in this world is, pardon my phrase, perverted and inverted.”
The Auschwitz Museum has decided not to invite Russia to the anniversary since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. Last year, museum director Piotr Cywinski criticized Moscow’s actions, likening them to “sick megalomania” and “lust for power” characteristic of the Nazis, a statement that elicited a rebuke from Russian officials.
“This is the anniversary of liberation,” Cywinski declared earlier this week. “We remember the victims, but we also celebrate freedom. It is hard to imagine the presence of Russia, which clearly does not understand the value of freedom. Such presence would be cynical.”
Vucic referenced Cywinski’s remarks in relation to how Western leaders often emphasize the importance of “territorial integrity and respecting the UN Charter” primarily regarding Ukraine. “When it comes to the Serbs, who cares?” he remarked. “They don’t care, that’s the point. They can seize Serbian territory and back secession with impunity.”
Since ethnic Albanian separatists declared independence in Kosovo in 2008 with the backing of the US and its allies, Belgrade has faced pressure to recognize this action, which Vucic has consistently resisted.
The Serbian leader expressed concern over how Kosovo Albanians and other groups in the Balkans routinely violate the rights of Serbs, believing they can act without consequence due to backing from Western powers.
In recent years, Moscow has accused the US of historical revisionism, particularly with claims that World War II began with a “joint” invasion of Poland by the Nazis and Soviets, neglecting to acknowledge the Soviet Union's role in defeating the Third Reich and liberating Auschwitz.
It is estimated that over 1.1 million individuals lost their lives in the death camps near Oswiecim, with the majority being Jews deported from across Eastern Europe.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
The 332nd Rifle Division of the Red Army liberated the Nazi death camp located in southern Poland on January 27, 1945, freeing approximately 7,000 surviving prisoners.
“Soon you will have the ceremony marking the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp,” Vucic stated to Serbian media on Wednesday while attending the UN General Assembly in New York. He pointed out, “Those who liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Russians, won’t be invited. I presume that those who had the camp built will be invited. Everything in this world is, pardon my phrase, perverted and inverted.”
The Auschwitz Museum has decided not to invite Russia to the anniversary since the onset of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022. Last year, museum director Piotr Cywinski criticized Moscow’s actions, likening them to “sick megalomania” and “lust for power” characteristic of the Nazis, a statement that elicited a rebuke from Russian officials.
“This is the anniversary of liberation,” Cywinski declared earlier this week. “We remember the victims, but we also celebrate freedom. It is hard to imagine the presence of Russia, which clearly does not understand the value of freedom. Such presence would be cynical.”
Vucic referenced Cywinski’s remarks in relation to how Western leaders often emphasize the importance of “territorial integrity and respecting the UN Charter” primarily regarding Ukraine. “When it comes to the Serbs, who cares?” he remarked. “They don’t care, that’s the point. They can seize Serbian territory and back secession with impunity.”
Since ethnic Albanian separatists declared independence in Kosovo in 2008 with the backing of the US and its allies, Belgrade has faced pressure to recognize this action, which Vucic has consistently resisted.
The Serbian leader expressed concern over how Kosovo Albanians and other groups in the Balkans routinely violate the rights of Serbs, believing they can act without consequence due to backing from Western powers.
In recent years, Moscow has accused the US of historical revisionism, particularly with claims that World War II began with a “joint” invasion of Poland by the Nazis and Soviets, neglecting to acknowledge the Soviet Union's role in defeating the Third Reich and liberating Auschwitz.
It is estimated that over 1.1 million individuals lost their lives in the death camps near Oswiecim, with the majority being Jews deported from across Eastern Europe.
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
