"We view this British attempt to use a national tragedy that has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world for geopolitical purposes to settle scores with our country during the days of mourning as profoundly immoral," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova complained in comments quoted by Sky News.
"This is especially blasphemous to the memory of Elizabeth II, who is known to have served during World War II in the territorial defence ranks of the British Armed Forces fighting the Nazis," stressed the Russian — her country’s own experience in what they call the Great Patriotic War being foundational to its modern-day national identity.
Invitations to attend the state funeral have been extended to world leaders across the globe, with Russia, allied Belarus, Buma (Myanmar), Assad-led Syria, Taliban
...Arabic for
students...
-led Afghanistan, and Maduro-led Venezuela
...a country in Central America that sits on an enormous pool of oil. Formerly the most prospereous country in the region, it became infested with Commies sniffing almost unlimited wealth. It turned out the wealth wasn't unlimited, the economy collapsed under the clownish Hugo Chavez, the murder rate exceeded places like Honduras and El Salvador. A significant proportion of the populace refugeed to Colombia and points south...so far the only governments to be snubbed.
Communist China has been invited — although some parliamentarians are lobbying against this — and so have the likes of North Korea
...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche...
and the Islamic Theocratic
Republicof Iran, if only at the ambassadorial level.