Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
Opinion by Maria #Zakharova:
💬 It is a known fact that during the Nazi occupation, individuals wishing to collaborate with the German authorities were encouraged to sign a “Volksliste,” a special identity card used as an “Ausweis,” a Third Reich passport. Hiwis, or Hilfswilligers (German for “willing to help”), i.e. volunteers from among the Soviet people at the service of Nazi Germany, had their own papers as well. The Nazis marked their own with German scrupulousness.
80 years later they haven't come up with anything new.
The European Parliament has proposed to introduce “good Russian passports.”
The revised report on Russia-EU relations contains an appeal to EU institutions to establish “democracy passports” for opposition-minded Russians and to ease visa regulations for them: the European Parliament "invites the EU institutions to establish a ‘democracy passport’ and special visa arrangements allowing democratic opposition and civil society activists to continue their work in the EU member states while in exile.”
So, for all those who have fled Russia, Brussels will issue their own “democracy little helper” passports. However, the plans for them are grand: the EU will rely on the “democracy passport” holders after “Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s defeat [which] will open a window of opportunity for the transformation of Russia into a democracy...”
Do you know where I found the Russian translation of this notable report? The European Parliament chose not to address this matter (the Germans also spoke with the occupied population in German, translation is for the “Untermensch” to do.) Voluntary helpers are already there. Those who call themselves the “Echo Moskvy Editorial Board” have kindly posted the draft document on their website.
What can I say in this regard... except to turn to history once again?
According to Soviet legislation, signing the Volksliste was considered high treason and was prosecuted in strict accordance with the law.
I believe our legislators will do the right thing if they start working on a response in the event the European Parliament approves such decisions.
💬 It is a known fact that during the Nazi occupation, individuals wishing to collaborate with the German authorities were encouraged to sign a “Volksliste,” a special identity card used as an “Ausweis,” a Third Reich passport. Hiwis, or Hilfswilligers (German for “willing to help”), i.e. volunteers from among the Soviet people at the service of Nazi Germany, had their own papers as well. The Nazis marked their own with German scrupulousness.
80 years later they haven't come up with anything new.
The European Parliament has proposed to introduce “good Russian passports.”
The revised report on Russia-EU relations contains an appeal to EU institutions to establish “democracy passports” for opposition-minded Russians and to ease visa regulations for them: the European Parliament "invites the EU institutions to establish a ‘democracy passport’ and special visa arrangements allowing democratic opposition and civil society activists to continue their work in the EU member states while in exile.”
So, for all those who have fled Russia, Brussels will issue their own “democracy little helper” passports. However, the plans for them are grand: the EU will rely on the “democracy passport” holders after “Ukraine’s victory and Russia’s defeat [which] will open a window of opportunity for the transformation of Russia into a democracy...”
Do you know where I found the Russian translation of this notable report? The European Parliament chose not to address this matter (the Germans also spoke with the occupied population in German, translation is for the “Untermensch” to do.) Voluntary helpers are already there. Those who call themselves the “Echo Moskvy Editorial Board” have kindly posted the draft document on their website.
What can I say in this regard... except to turn to history once again?
According to Soviet legislation, signing the Volksliste was considered high treason and was prosecuted in strict accordance with the law.
I believe our legislators will do the right thing if they start working on a response in the event the European Parliament approves such decisions.