Eva Deschamps / September 16, 2022
Russia denounced on Thursday the "blasphemous" and "immoral" attitude of the United Kingdom against it, after London decided not to invite a Russian representative to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, amid diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
We consider this British attempt to use the national tragedy that has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world for geopolitical purposes to settle scores with our country (...) as profoundly immoral," Russian diplomatic spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement. "This is particularly blasphemous towards the memory of Elizabeth II," she added.
The spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy deplored that the United Kingdom uses according to her the Russian offensive in Ukraine as a "pretext" not to invite Russian leaders to the funeral of Elizabeth II in London on Monday, September 19.
Symbolizing its status as a pariah in the West, Russia - along with its Belarusian ally, as well as Burma and North Korea - was not invited to the funeral of the queen, who died last Thursday at 96. "The British elite are now on the side of the Nazis," Zakharova said, referring to London's strong military and financial support for Kiev against Russian military intervention.
Elizabeth II's funeral at Westminster Abbey next week is a major diplomatic event, with more than 100 crowned heads, heads of state and other dignitaries expected to attend. Russia's absence is a testament to the highly strained diplomatic relations between Moscow and London over the past several years, from the Skripal affair in 2018 to the conflict in Ukraine.