Germany expects pro-Russian activities on May 9

Germany's domestic intelligence service expects pro-Russian activities nationwide on Monday, when Russia traditionally commemorates the victory of the Soviet army over Hitler's Germany, reported dpa.

This is "an ideal date to be exploited for Russian propaganda," the president of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, Thomas Haldenwang, told Sunday's edition of Die Welt newspaper seen in advance by dpa.

"On this day [May 9], pro-Russian activities such as car parades and demonstrations are to be expected all over Germany, possibly also showing the Z-symbol of the Russian invading army in Ukraine," Haldenwang said. The use of the letter Z as a symbol is considered a sign of approval for the Russian war of aggression.

The security authorities in the federal states are also preparing for pro-Russian demonstrations and activities, according to a survey of the interior ministries conducted by the newspapers of the Funke media group and published on Saturday.

According to the survey, the main focus could be on the capital Berlin and North Rhine Westphalia, Germany's most populous state.

According to the information from the federal states, there are no indications of an increased willingness to use violence on the part of pro-Russian demonstrators.

The state Interior Ministry, however, referred to the "emotionally charged subject matter," which is why clashes cannot be ruled out.

"No one should declare solidarity with the criminal rule of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin," Finance Minister Christian Lindner told Saturday's edition of the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper.

He said he found it "shocking" that during a Russian war in Europe, sympathizers of the Russian president would abuse the anniversary of the surrender of the Nazi regime.

On Sunday, several countries commemorate the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht in World War II and the liberation of Europe from Nazism.