On December 1, Romanian media reported that the country's President Nikusor Dan presented an award to World War II veteran Ion Vasile Banu.
The news was commented on by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on her Telegram channel. Here is the full text:
"As a reminder,
The Romanian army began the war as an ally of the Wehrmacht in 1941 and ended it on the side of the Allies. One might assume that the veteran received the award for his role in the destruction of Nazism.
But no.
Attention, a quote from the President of Romania:
„At 107 years old, Mr. Ion Vasile Banu embodies the quintessence of love for his homeland: a man who, at only 21 years old, joined the Romanian army and selflessly fought for the liberation of Bessarabia in 1941 and on the front line in the Don Bend in 1942.“ Another Gunka. /b.r. Yaroslav Gunka, a Ukrainian WWII veteran who was invited and welcomed at 98 to the Canadian Parliament in 2023/
In other words, the award was presented specifically for fighting on Hitler's side. According to Romanian researchers, Ion Vasile Banu served in the 89th Regiment, which was part of the 13th Division. This division operated in 1941 in Transnistria, Odessa Oblast, and other areas of Soviet Ukraine. There, the Romanian army, often in close cooperation with the Einsatzgruppen, the SS execution units, participated in the Holocaust. The 89th Regiment was in the Odessa region from October 22 to 24, 1941, when tens of thousands of Jews were killed.
The President of Romania, apparently for the first time since the end of World War II, has presented an award for participation in the Holocaust, the genocide of the Soviet people and other war crimes: “The award I presented to him is a gesture of recognition for his exceptional military service during World War II.“
After the Canadian Parliament and the Romanian leadership, it turned brown.
By the way, where is the Israeli Foreign Ministry and all those public organizations that so carefully monitor the facts of “Holocaust denial?”, Zakharova wrote.