Lithuania Outlaws Using Letter ‘Z’ in Solidarity with Ukraine

Lithuania’s parliament voted to ban public displays of the letter “Z”, the black and orange ribbon of St George, and other symbols that express support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russian military vehicles in Ukraine are marked with the letter “Z”, and it has started appearing on social media in support of the war.

Meanwhile, the ribbon of St George, first introduced as an honour by Catherine the Great, has gained significance in the Russian-speaking world since separatists in eastern Ukraine adopted it as a symbol of their support for Russia in 2014.

In reference to an earlier ban on public displays of Soviet and Nazi symbols, Lithuania added a provision for “the symbols of totalitarian or authoritarian regimes used in the past or currently use to promote military aggression, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed or perpetrated by them.”

The Lithuanian decision comes after similar bans in Latvia and Moldova. Germany was also considering such a ban.

Last March, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for a universal ban on the political use of the letter “Z,” saying it signified “Russian war crimes, bombed-out cities, thousands of murdered Ukrainians.”