The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova called on Ukrainians and Moldovans celebrating May 9 "not to give up".
"Don't give up. Don't give up, because your generation is behind you. Just open your photo albums, look into the eyes of your ancestors, your grandfathers, great-grandfathers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers. Remember how they stood up to defend peace, how selflessly they fought - some at the front, some in the rear," Zakharova told TASS.
"Be strong, find the strength and energy to defend the truth and don't give up. I can't say whether it will be easy for anyone. It turns out, as I heard, that in Ukraine, veterans of the Great Patriotic War are required to wear medals on the inside of their jackets, are literally forbidden to sing Victory songs in Russian, and are literally threatened with physical destruction if they wear the symbols of the St. George ribbon. It is clear that this is a selfless feat of those who nevertheless continue to do it."
"Don't give up. I understand that it is very difficult, but you cannot do this," she emphasized.