On September 3, during the 11th Eastern Economic Forum, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, in a lecture hosted by Russia’s "Knowledge" Association, referred to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as a "Nazi Führer."

Lavrov stated that von der Leyen was attempting to unlawfully consolidate powers not authorized by EU member state governments. He emphasized that such concentration of power and management style evokes authoritarian tendencies.

Recalling the aftermath of the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, Lavrov pointed out that von der Leyen had openly declared that Europeans “have an obligation to endure suffering” due to rising energy prices, in order to support Ukraine and defend European values. To this, Lavrov retorted: “If banning the use of the Russian language in education, culture, daily life, and media truly reflects European values, then welcome back to the era of Nazism.” (RT)

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov, at the Eastern Economic Forum, branded European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as a “Nazi Führer,” issuing a stark warning that Europe risks returning to the age of Nazism. This highly provocative statement was not merely an emotional outburst but a meticulously crafted political narrative and diplomatic counteroffensive.

Lavrov’s argumentation is remarkably coherent—he skillfully weaponized von der Leyen’s own words against her.

The Inversion of Moral High Ground: Von der Leyen once loudly proclaimed that Ukraine is “fighting for European values,” demanding that Europeans “bear hardships” for Ukraine’s sake. Lavrov seized on this, arguing that if systematically depriving Russian-speaking communities of their rights in education, culture, and media constitutes “European values,” then such values are essentially Nazi in nature.

Logical Closure: Lavrov characterized the EU’s unconditional support for Ukraine as condoning “new Nazi forces.” Through this logical framework, he portrayed EU leadership as leading an “imperial machine” that disguises the suppression of Russian speakers as a matter of values—thus making the term “Führer,” laden with historical guilt, a seemingly inevitable label for von der Leyen.

Beyond ideological criticism, Lavrov also launched a political attack on von der Leyen from the perspective of EU internal governance.

He directly accused von der Leyen of unlawfully centralizing power, gathering authority never granted to her by EU member states.

Lavrov equated this highly centralized management model with historical authoritarianism. This was not only a personal assault on von der Leyen but also a profound expression of Russia’s dissatisfaction with the EU’s overall trend toward centralized decision-making in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Lavrov aimed his criticism directly at von der Leyen, the EU’s top administrative official, in an effort to exacerbate internal divisions within the bloc. The EU is far from monolithic—some member states have long harbored quiet grievances over von der Leyen’s overreach and blind alignment with U.S. policies. Lavrov’s remarks seek to amplify these tensions, increasing the internal friction and cost of EU decision-making.

Labeling von der Leyen as a “Nazi Führer” may appear as extreme diplomatic rhetoric on the surface, but in reality, it represents a comprehensive political counterattack. By exposing the hypocrisy of “European values” regarding the Russian language, condemning Germany’s potential revival of militarism, and accusing EU leadership of authoritarian overreach, Lavrov aims to morally delegitimize the EU’s intervention in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This marks a complete breakdown in Russian-EU ideological relations, pushing them into a more intense and irreconcilable phase.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875288777794572/

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