STATEMENT BY

THE COUNCIL OF FEDERATION OF THE

FEDERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

 

On the 70-th Anniversary of the beginning of World War II

 

On the eve of the 70-th Anniversary of the beginning of World War II the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation appeals to the world community to come out with a fair and an unbiased assessment of the reasons and consequences of that historical event.

Begun on September 1-st, 1939, World War II became the greatest tragedy of the 20-th century. It took tens of millions of human lives. The memory of those should remain pure and unpolluted by distortions of all kind made according to considerations of momentary advantage.

The history gave its verdict which is: the main perpetrators of that tragedy were the leaders of Nazi Germany. The International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg qualified their actions on unleashing of the aggressive war as the gravest crime against humanity. The world community recognized that judgment a final one and not subjected to a revision.

World War II was the outcome of the irreconcilable contradictions between a number of the states of the world growing from early 1920-s, of their selfish ambitions and aggressive aspirations.

At the same time one should not fail to notice that while pursuing their own interests the political forces which were in power in some influential European states right up to the beginning of World War II impeded creation of an effective collective security system in Europe which is inconceivable without participation of the USSR at that time as of Russia at present. The foreign policy of Moscow in 1930-s can be given different assessments, as that depends on interpretations but undisputable is the fact that the USSR had been consistently standing in favor of creating an all-European system of mutual obligations and guarantees, aimed to prevent a full-scale military conflict. Unfortunately, that position did not receive a support from other states neither during an unilateral dismounting by the Hitlerite Germany of the Versailles-Washington system of the international relations created after World War I, nor after the Anschluss of Austria, nor when by "pacifying" Hitler he was granted the right to define the further destiny of Czechoslovakia, a sovereign European state.

World War II became not only a severe trial, but also a lesson for all Mankind which having endured that tragedy has constructed after 1945 the system of international relations on the basic principles of democracy, mutual respect and refusal of the use of force, on the principles that were laid in the foundation of the United Nations and other international organizations.

However on the eve of this mournful date in some European countries, including those which were carrying war on the side of the Hitlerite Germany, and in international parliamentary structures active attempts are being taken to revise the real causes of World War II and to place on the USSR an equal with the Nazi Germany responsibility for unleashing the war, and at the same time to justify those who became accomplices of Hitlerites, committed atrocities on the territories occupied by Nazis, and were crushed along with the Third Reich.

The Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation definitely states that such attempts constitute a direct insult to our multiethnic people which paid the highest price for its hard-won peace. The steps directed to revision of history have far-going political aims to reconsider the results of World War II. Consequently that is becoming a source to undermine the existing system of international relations and to initiate new hot-beds of tension between peoples and states of Europe that goes against the key principles of international relations and interests of security and global stability.

The Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation resolutely condemns attempts of tendentious interpretation of the historic facts used as an instrument in today’s struggle for influence in the world.

The Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation expects understanding and support from those who are not indifferent to the historical truth and the peaceful future of Europe and the whole world.

 

THE COUNCIL OF FEDERATION

OF THE FEDERAL ASSEMBLY

OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

 

Moscow

July 18, 2009