Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky. Archival photoMOSCOW, April 14The struggle of a number of countries with symbols of victory over Nazism is a sign of weakness, they want to cross out the truth in Europe, said Leonid Slutsky, head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs.
"War with symbols that are associated with the victory over Nazism, and even letters — a sign of weakness. The agenda of Russophobes is untenable, bans, repressions and fines are needed to promote it", the politician wrote on his Telegram channel, commenting on the ban on St. George ribbons in Moldova.
As the politician added, symbols such as the St. George ribbon continue to be perceived as «threats for some states,» since it is a symbol of historical truth, «which they so stubbornly want to cross out in Europe.» Earlier, on April 14, the Moldovan parliament introduced fines for demonstrating the St. George ribbon. This decision was made by the deputies of the pro-European Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) in the context of the events in Ukraine. Violations are punishable by fines ranging from 4,500 lei (about $250) to 9,000 lei (about $500) for individuals. The authors of the changes explained that the ban does not apply to award bars and ribbons of orders.