American veterans were reportedly told their passports would be canceled if they traveled to Russia

The US government intimidated several WWII veterans who wanted to fly to Moscow for the Victory Day parade, Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said on Monday.

US officials blocked the dreams of US veterans to reunite with their Russian comrades in arms for the second year in a row, Antonov said, even threatening to cancel their passports if they flew to Russia. 

“We want the American soldiers to know that Russia is proud of their contribution to the common victory. The hostile US policy will not undermine the spirit of camaraderie during the Great Patriotic War. We consider it our duty to defend the truth about these heroes,” the ambassador said.

Antonov also pointed to rising Russophobia in the US, which he said was being encouraged by the government. He accused the US media of completely ignoring the anniversary of the Nazi defeat, in order to avoid giving any credit to the USSR.

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“Brazen attempts are being made to falsify the facts about WWII, the decisive contribution of the Red Army to the defeat of fascism is ignored, and the Soviet Union is excluded from the list of winners. At the same time, the role of the US and the UK is undeservedly advertised,” the ambassador said.

He also called a “disgrace” and “mockery of history and common sense” that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is being celebrated around Europe even as the government in Kiev glorifies the Nazi collaborators such as Stepan Bandera and his movement.

“We call on the American authorities to change their minds and stop indulging the Nazis,” Antonov said. “We must be honest with the fallen heroes. Stop distorting history. Encouraging neo-Nazism and Russophobia is unacceptable.”

READ MORE: Ukraine cancels traditional holiday celebrating defeat of Nazis

The ambassador also noted that over the weekend, unknown vandals attacked Orthodox headstones at the Rock Creek cemetery in Washington. According to the local Russian parish  priest, the attackers also desecrated the chapel, defacing the icon of St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco.