Ukrainian ambassador: Russia acting like Hamas

Ukraine’s acting ambassador told a Jewish audience this week that Russia was engaging in “Hamas-style” terrorism and was responsible for “ethnic cleansing” in the east of the country.

Andrii Kuzmenko’s remarks at a World Jewish Relief event at the London Jewish Cultural Centre on Monday came after Ukrainian elections were held on Sunday, which saw huge gains for European-leaning parties.

Historian Dr David Fishman said Ukraine had a positive relationship with its Jewish population, and that today was one of the best periods for Ukrainian-Jewish relations, with Ukrainian Jews widely seen as patriotic.

WJR’s Adva Rodogovsky spoke of the country’s current difficulties, with armed men roaming the streets, carrying out random arrests, bombing buses and mining roads.

“The past few months have seen huge turmoil for Ukraine’s Jews,” said WJR chief executive Paul Anticoni. “Thousands have lost their homes and needs the UK Jewish community’s support more than ever.”