The German government cautioned against Russian attempts to use events marking the 80th anniversary of World War Two for propaganda purposes. The Russian ambassador attended a local event in Seelow commemorating the Battle of the Seelow Heights, one of the final battles before the Soviet army marched on Berlin. At least 30,000 Soviet soldiers were killed in this hard-fought battle. The German Foreign Office had advised municipalities not to invite Russian state representatives to such events, as they feared Russia would use the anniversary to justify their actions in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin had justified his invasion of Ukraine by portraying it as a way to deal with “Nazis.” Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksii Makeiev criticized the presence of the Russian ambassador at the commemoration. Russia lost over 25 million lives in what they call the Great Patriotic War and marks the victory with a military parade in Red Square. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova viewed the German guidance as insulting. Despite concerns, the Russian embassy did not comment on the situation. A small crowd of locals attended the event in Seelow, and the organizer stated that it would be inappropriate to prevent the ambassador from honoring his compatriots.
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