Russian embassy in London draws parallel between anti-Russian propaganda, hate speech

LONDON, SANA- UK politicians should reflect on whether baseless anti-Russian propaganda amounts to hate-speech, which the West opposes so much, the Russian embassy to the United Kingdom said in a comment to TASS.

The embassy said it was outraged by “the apparent willingness of prominent UK officials to uncritically reproduce the vile and primitive anti-Russian propaganda of the Kiev regime.”

Among other things, Russian diplomats noted recent remarks by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who claimed on Monday that the Russian military was setting up booby-trapped toys and installing torture chambers in Kherson. Meanwhile, earlier that day UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly “seemed to imply the responsibility of Russian Armed Forces in committing ‘atrocities’ of a sexual nature.”

“No evidence to prop up these grotesque allegations was forthcoming, as none could be, given the absence of such evidence. Yet the British media remains awash with such delusions, excitedly falling over themselves to reprint, retweet and repost almost anything that conforms to the prevalent anti-Russian stereotype,” the embassy said.

“Questions arise. What is the reason for the apparent inability of UK officials and media outlets to publicly denounce the Ukrainian military and its neo-Nazi paramilitary detachments that over the preceding eight years subjected the civilian residents of Donbass, their families and children to an uninterrupted reign of terror and oppression?” the embassy said. “Why have London and its NATO allies failed to respond to a documented fact of Russian servicemen, having surrendered to Ukrainian armed forces, being gunned down? Their cold-blooded murderers, having opened fire upon unarmed prisoners of war, who were lying on the ground, were so confident of their impunity that they videotaped their criminal offences.”

“Finally, is it not the case that anti-Russian propaganda uncorroborated by facts constitutes exactly the kind of hate-speech the West alleges to be fighting?” Russian diplomats said.

The document expresses hope that all those questions would eventually be answered.

Russian diplomats reiterated that Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine is conducted “in full compliance with international humanitarian law, guided by the noble goal of ensuring Russia’s national security and the safety and well-being of our people.”.

Manar Salameh /Hala Zain