The European Union’s ambassador to Korea on Tuesday denounced a controversial banner displayed at the Russian Embassy in Seoul, calling it a breach of diplomatic responsibility and a reflection of Moscow’s broader pattern of intimidation and propaganda linked to its war in Ukraine. In an interview with The Korea Times at the EU Delegation office in Seoul, Ugo Astuto said the banner — written in Russian and reading “Victory is ours” — was unacceptable, particularly as it appeared ahead of the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “I think it is simply preposterous that the Russian Embassy glorifies its unlawful war of aggression, and on top of it against the explicit wishes of the host government,” Astuto said. “I find this preposterous, but I am not surprised.” The banner, mounted on the outer wall of the Russian Embassy in central Seoul, features Russia’s tricolor flag and echoes a slogan widely used by the Soviet Union during World War II. In recent years, the phrase has been used in Russia to justify and promote its invasion of Ukraine. The embass