Senate chief calls Lavrov’s comments sickening

The highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the US has condemned as ‘‘sickening’’ Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov’s antisemitic comments about the Ukraine invasion.

US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said yesterday that Russia is fooling no-one by trying to justify its brutal invasion of Ukraine with a ‘‘deranged conspiracy theory’’ against the Jewish people. Schumer, a New York Democrat, is the US Senate’s first Jewish majority leader.

‘‘I have only one word for this: Sickening,’’ Schumer said in the Senate.

Lavrov was asked during an interview over the weekend with an Italian news channel about Russian claims that it invaded Ukraine to ‘‘denazify’’ the country – a seemingly confusing position since Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish.

Lavrov suggested falsely that Jewish people themselves are ‘‘the biggest anti-Semites.’’ Schumer said he condemned Lavrov’s comments in the strongest possible way.

‘‘You’re fooling no-one,’’ Schumer said. ‘‘The crimes of Russia are as plain as day for the world to see.’’

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scheduled to address Ukraine’s parliament, delivering a message that the fight against Russian invasion is Ukraine’s ‘‘finest hour.’’

Johnson’s office says the UK leader will announce a new £300 million (NZ$582m) package of military aid to Ukraine when he speaks to the legislature by video link today. Britain has already sent Ukraine equipment including missiles and missile launchers. The new package includes electronic warfare equipment, a counter battery radar system, GPS jamming equipment and thousands of night vision devices.

Ukrainian President Volydymyr Zelenskyy addressed Britain’s Parliament on March 8, and also likened his country’s struggle to Britain’s fight against the Nazis. Johnson visited Kyiv on April 9. –