Vladimir Putin’s absence from events marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp shows how Europe is still bitterly divided over the legacy of the Holocaust.
The Kremlin has confirmed Mr Putin will not attend Tuesday’s ceremony at the camp in Poland on Tuesday, unlike many world leaders, including the presidents of France, Germany and Poland.
The official reason is that the Russian president did not receive a formal invitation.
The organisers of the ceremonies said no personal invitations were sent to any leader, but the Kremlin evidently feels snubbed, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying the letter was “not something that should be responded to”.