(Reuters) – Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused Israel Tuesday of aiding neo Nazis in Ukraine. This escalates a dispute that began with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, claiming Adolf Hitler was Jewish.

Israel lambasted Lavrov Monday. He claimed that Lavrov’s claim about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was Jewish, was an “unforgivable”, falsehood which degraded Nazi Holocaust horrors.

Zelenskiy, who accused Russia of forgetting the lessons from World War Two, was denounced by leaders of several Western countries.

According to the Russian Ministry, Yair Lepid’s remarks were anti-historical and explained in large part why the Israeli government backs the neo Nazi regime at Kyiv.

Moscow repeated Lavrov’s assertion that Zelenskiy’s Jewish heritage did not prevent Ukraine being controlled by neo Nazis.

It stated that “Antisemitism is still prevalent in daily life, politics and society” in a statement.

Lavrov made Hitler’s statement on Italian television Sunday. He was being asked why Russia thought it must “denazify Ukraine”, if Volodymyr Zeleskiy (the country’s current president) was Jewish.

Following the Russian invasion of February, Israel expressed its support for Ukraine. However, Russia is a powerful broker in Syria’s neighbouring Syria. Israel initially avoided criticism from Moscow, and did not impose formal sanctions against Russian oligarchs.

But relations have been getting more difficult, as Lapid accuses Russia of war crimes against Ukraine last month.