Overview

• The German Bundestag and Foreign Office have formalized a ban on inviting Russian and Belarusian diplomats to central WWII commemorations, citing concerns over political misuse linked to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
• The Stiftung Brandenburgische Gedenkstätten, managing Sachsenhausen and Ravensbrück memorials, plans to enforce exclusions and, if necessary, exercise house rights with security support.
• Treptow-Köpenick district in Berlin has announced it will not bar Russian or Belarusian representatives from attending May 8 events, citing the Soviet Union's historical role in defeating Nazism.
• Russia's ambassador to Germany, Sergej Netschajew, recently attended a ceremony at Seelower Höhen uninvited, drawing sharp criticism from Ukraine's ambassador over the display of Russian military symbols.
• The Russian Embassy continues to protest the exclusions, emphasizing the Soviet Union's wartime sacrifices, while Ukraine's representatives support the bans as a stance against historical revisionism.