Overview

• The Bundestag has officially excluded the Russian and Belarusian ambassadors from the central May 8 WWII commemoration, citing concerns over potential political exploitation.
• Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will deliver the keynote speech at the event, which will also feature top German constitutional leaders.
• The decision aligns with Foreign Office guidelines advising against inviting representatives from Russia and Belarus due to fears of linking WWII remembrance to Russia's war in Ukraine.
• Russian Ambassador Sergej Netschajew attended a separate remembrance at Seelower Heights uninvited but was not prevented, prompting criticism from Ukraine for his display of the St. George’s ribbon.
• The St. George’s ribbon, a symbol of Soviet victory now associated with support for Vladimir Putin, is banned in Ukraine and has become a point of contention between the nations.