Kiev Demands Explanation From UK for Including Ukrainian National Symbol in Extremism Guide

KIEV (Sputnik) - On Sunday, Ukraine's Embassy in London said that the UK Counter Terrorism Policing network had put the tryzub (trident), Ukraine's national symbol, in its extremism guide.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is expecting an explanation from UK law enforcement and the Foreign Office regarding the placement of the country's coat of arms in a manual on extremism, the ministry said on Monday.

"The state coat of arms of Ukraine originates in the Kievan Rus and is one of the symbols of Ukrainian unity. It is widely used by the state authorities and the public," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that associating the coat of arms with extremism offends feelings of many both in Ukraine and beyond.

"Now we are waiting for an official comment from the British Foreign Office and the police. We assume it will be issued in the near future. We demand that Ukrainian state symbols be excluded from the guide if the aforementioned fact is confirmed," the ministry added.

Earlier in the month, UK police drew criticism for including the Extinction Rebellion climate change activist group in a list of extremist ideologies.