Russia Claims Ukraine’s Refusal to Share Borscht Proves ‘Nazism’

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson went on an incoherent rant this week in which she claimed Ukraine’s supposed refusal to share its legacy of borscht with Russia proves the country is governed by “xenophobia” and “Nazism.” At an official foreign ministry briefing on Thursday, Maria Zakharova, at times appearing to slur her words, said the borscht issue is “exactly what we are talking about” when explaining the need for Vladimir Putin’s “special operation” against Ukraine. “They even forbid culinary books. Why? Because they didn’t want to share borscht, it must belong to only one people, one nationality. And for it to be shared, for every housewife in every region and in every city to be able to make it their own way—no. They don’t want to compromise,” she said, calling this a sign of “xenophobia, Nazism, extremism in all forms.” Shortly after Zakharova whined about Ukraine getting all the glory for the traditional beet soup, Russia lobbed rockets at families fleeing the besieged Donetsk region, ultimately killing more than 50 people, some of them children. (But do go on about your soup grievances, Masha.)