This week the whole of Europe commemorates the end of the Second World War and liberation from National Socialism. Russia will celebrate the victory over Hitler’s Germany with its usual massive military parade on 9 May. The Kremlin’s efforts to place its current war of aggression in Ukraine in this historical context meet with opposition in the European press.
Moscow evoking old enemies
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Italy’s La Stampa shudders at the way Russia glorifies militarism:
As the Russian regime’s propaganda reaches increasingly absurd levels, with newborns in maternity wards wearing soldiers’ caps complete with five-pointed red stars, the Kremlin seems determined to superimpose World War II on the war Russia is now waging against Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov evokes the specter of mass mobilization because “a great country is ready to rise up at any moment.” Putin, for his part, clearly points to the enemy when he speaks of “German-made tanks marked with crosses” and representatives of “defeated nations who want to subjugate and impose things on us.”
Practised revisionism
Russia is using the commemorations to promote a false view of history, Croatia’s Jutarnji list explains:
The real problem is that Russia is using the victory over Nazism to distort history. ... We mustn’t forget that initially Hitler and Stalin were allies, dividing Poland between themselves and massacring tens of thousands of Poles. ... And the resistance and subsequent victory in the Great Patriotic War do not belong solely to the Russians but to all the peoples of the Soviet Union. The figures speak for themselves: of the 26 million who died, six million were from Ukraine. ... In short, Putin’s victory celebrations are a revisionist vampire ball that should be ignored.
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Tainted commemoration
In a Telegram post republished by Echo, historian and teacher Tamara Eidelman criticizes the way Putin equates World War II with the war in Ukraine:
It’s completely immoral to poison the minds of the younger generation with talk of heroism and self-sacrifice and then top it off with sentimental platitudes about how “our soldiers participating in today’s special military operation are continuing the great traditions of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, fighting with honor and courage for justice.” Not only because it condones the current war, but also because such talk tarnishes the memory of those who really did fight heroically against the fascists.
Other USSR Nations Overlooked
Blogger Valery Pekar criticizes in Ukraine’s NV:
Russia is trying to appropriate this holiday for its own purposes. First and foremost, to gain recognition and honor as the victor of WWII to whom the whole world is indebted, and to emphasize its decisive role in the victory over Nazism and its alleged greatest losses. ... The Kremlin has every reason to be confident that it will achieve its goals. Firstly, the West has long been infected by Russian propaganda, which has met with little or no opposition. Secondly, in the minds of Americans and Europeans the Soviet Union is equated with Russia - they knew little or thought little about the other nations of the USSR.”
Remember the bonds that unite
A group of European historians makes an appeal to the US in France’s Le Monde:
As we approach the anniversary of 8 May 1945, we call on the American people to rise above the political divisions being fueled by Moscow. ... Remember the bonds that unite us, forged on the battlefields and strengthened by eighty years of friendship and alliance. Disinformation seeks to divide us, but our shared commitment to freedom and democracy must prevail. Above all, we appeal to you to support Ukraine. We hope that with the help of the US, a diplomatic solution can be found.
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