At around the time of the incident, Russian President Boris Yeltsin compared the Chechens to the Nazis during the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in World War II.[23] The news of the massacre embarrassed Yeltsin's foreign guests, including Bill Clinton and John Major.[24] The European Union expressed its concern regarding the incident, while Washington had warned that the events of Chechnya could wreck the anniversary event.[16]