US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of historical revisionism with regard to the commemoration of the end of the war in 1945. “President Putin is trying to twist history to justify his unprovoked and brutal war against Ukraine,” Blinken said in Washington on Saturday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people “valiantly defend their country, their democracy and the legitimate future of Ukraine” in a free and peaceful Europe.
Bild: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters-Pool/AP/dpa
There is a “sacred duty” to those who died in World War II, Blinken continued. That means “telling the truth about the past and supporting all those who stand up for freedom in our time”. As war raged again in Europe, it was necessary to increase resolve to resist those who were now trying to manipulate historical memory.
On May 8, this Sunday, the end of the war in 1945 is commemorated by the unconditional surrender of the German Wehrmacht. Russia is celebrating the Soviet victory over Hitler’s Germany in World War II with a military parade on Monday, May 9th. President Vladimir Putin is expected to comment on the war of aggression against Ukraine.