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Since the moment the Russian invasion of Ukraine began nearly two weeks ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed his primary motivation for the violence is to "de-Nazify" Ukraine.
It's an absurd claim with no basis in reality—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish—and while Ukraine does have a far-right Neo-Nazi contingent, it is far smaller than most Western countries including the United States.
Nevertheless, Russia has continued spinning its tales about Nazis controlling Ukraine, but one German embassy has had enough.
After the Russian embassy in South Africa posted a tweet thanking South Africans for supposedly supporting Russia in "fighting Nazism in Ukraine," the German embassy in South Africa clapped back with a perfectly worded rebuke.
See the tweets below.
Sorry, but we can't stay silent on this one, it's just far too cynical. What is doing in is slaughtering innocent children, women and men for its own gain. It's definitely not "fighting Nazism". Shame on anyone who's falling for this. (Sadly, we're kinda experts on Nazism.)— Germany in SA (@Germany in SA) 1646470685
The German embassy tweeted:
"Sorry, but we can't stay silent on this one, it's just far too cynical."
"What 🇷🇺 is doing in 🇺🇦 is slaughtering innocent children, women and men for its own gain."
"It's definitely not 'fighting Nazism. Shame on anyone who's falling for this. (Sadly, we're kinda experts on Nazism.)"
The embassy's forceful response was a retort to the rhetoric in the Russian embassy's tweet, in which the organization even went so far as to compare Putin's invasion to the fight against Nazi Germany in World War II.
"Dear subscribers, we have received a great number of letters of solidarity from South Africans, both individuals and organizations."
"We appreciate your support and glad you decided to stand with us today, when Russia, like 80 years ago, is fighting Nazism in Ukraine! 🇷🇺"
As "experts on Nazism," the German embassy was likely equally galled by Russia's fast-and-loose interpretation of its involvement in World War II.
While Russia did fight Nazism "80 years ago," the Soviet Union did not begin fighting the Nazis until Hitler invaded Russia in 1941. Prior to that, Russia had a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, which it honored while Hitler invaded Poland and France, launched a months-long Blitz on the United Kingdom and opened more and more concentration camps.
On Twitter, many applauded the German embassy for speaking truth in the face of Russia's propaganda and joined them in excoriating the Russian embassy for its tweet.
No wonder I love Germany; spent 2 semesters there!\n\nGermans are a courageous people, not afraid to look at their history & learn from it - giving a masterclass in how to do better when you know better! Not beholden to some misguided nostalgia!— DiZany \u25baDQ\u2669 (@DiZany \u25baDQ\u2669) 1646506676
I'm from Sweden, a country that firmly stood up against apartheid when most country didn't. I am disgusted by some comments supporting Putin here. I've lived 1 year in Moscow. Does anyone of you idiots even know the level of racism and intolerance they have there. Shame on you!— Lawrence of the cold valley \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Lawrence of the cold valley \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1646503229
And this just exemplifies my heartfelt respect for . A nation so rare in its acknowledgement of own wrongs. In we barely speak about own ills while in remorse for what an evil elite did in their name is worn as a solemn badge.\n\nGermany; I love you!\nUkraine; I cry for you.— Jan-Kjetil Jess (@Jan-Kjetil Jess) 1646665524
I've never been prouder to have German roots in my family tree than after reading this tweet from the ACTUAL German Embassy in SouthAfrica - in response to war-mongering propaganda bullby the Russian Embassy (in the thread above)https://twitter.com/GermanEmbassySA/status/1500032894261211138\u00a0\u2026— \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6Lady Shoshana\ud83e\udd73\ud83c\udf08\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\uddfd#IStandWithUkraine\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6Lady Shoshana\ud83e\udd73\ud83c\udf08\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\uddfd#IStandWithUkraine\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1646566758
Absolutely spot on response from the German Embassy in South Africa to the Russian Embassy's embarrassing & deceitful propaganda. https://twitter.com/GermanEmbassySA/status/1500032894261211138\u00a0\u2026— Lord Baron Sir Bray 'Activist' Against Brexit (@Lord Baron Sir Bray 'Activist' Against Brexit) 1646564924
I like how sassy German embassies are beinghttps://twitter.com/GermanEmbassySA/status/1500032894261211138\u00a0\u2026— Marc Owen Jones (@Marc Owen Jones) 1646672823
"Sadly, we're kinda experts on Nazism."\n\nSome epic shade from the German Embassy in South Africa to the propaganda tweeted by the Russian Embassy.https://twitter.com/GermanEmbassySA/status/1500032894261211138\u00a0\u2026— John Voelcker (@John Voelcker) 1646699670
Germany in response to Russia claiming the reason they have invaded Ukraine and chooses to kill men, women and children is because they are fighting nazis. \n\nUkraine, a country with a Jewish leader.https://twitter.com/GermanEmbassySA/status/1500032894261211138\u00a0\u2026— Nationalism Watch \ud83d\udc40 (@Nationalism Watch \ud83d\udc40) 1646520010
It's rare that a take on Twitter catches me off guard. But this tweet from the German Embassy in South Africa is https://twitter.com/GermanEmbassySA/status/1500032894261211138\u00a0\u2026— Laura J. Hilton (@Laura J. Hilton) 1646505977
We fully support our colleagues of the @GermanEmbassySA in their compelling response to the shameful propaganda perpetrated by the Russian Embassy in SA. \nWe will continue to repudiate such outrageous excuses for the unprovoked war against Ukraine. \n#StandingWithUkraine\nhttps://twitter.com/GermanEmbassySA/status/1500032894261211138\u00a0\u2026— Anne Wagner-Mitchell (@Anne Wagner-Mitchell) 1646570202
Despite the controversy, Putin and his regime have continued their "denazification" rhetoric even as they have begun bombing Jewish synagogues and Holocaust memorial centers in Ukrainian cities.