Overview

• A memorial service at Seelower Höhen on Wednesday will honor soldiers who fell in a pivotal World War II battle 80 years ago.
• The event will feature a wreath-laying ceremony and a moment of silence at 11:00 AM, with the Russian Ambassador Sergej Netschajew confirmed to attend.
• The German Foreign Office had suggested excluding Russian and Belarusian representatives from such events, citing ongoing geopolitical tensions linked to the war in Ukraine.
• Local officials, including Märkisch-Oderland Deputy District Administrator Friedemann Hanke, dismissed the guidance as impractical and counterproductive to diplomatic relations.
• The ceremony underscores the challenge of balancing historical remembrance with the political sensitivities of contemporary international conflicts.