The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to a post posted May 8 on White House accounts on social networks.
A timed entry marking the anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany refers to "the victory of the United States and Great Britain over Nazism." However, the contribution of the Soviet Union to the Victory is not mentioned.
“The attempts to distort the results of the defeat of Nazism and the decisive contribution of our country, which do not stop in Washington even on the solemn days of the general celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Victory, are extremely indignant,” the Foreign Ministry emphasized.
The Foreign Ministry noted that on the eve of Victory Day, officials in the United States did not have the courage and desire "to at least half-pay the tribute to the undeniable role and the colossal disparate victims that the Red Army and the Soviet people suffered in the name of all mankind."
Russian diplomats drew attention to the fact that the attitude shown in the recording was in disagreement with the statement adopted on April 25 by Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on the occasion of the anniversary of the historic meeting of Soviet and American soldiers in Elba in 1945, which emphasizes the joint efforts of the two countries.
“We proceed from the fact that the real facts of history cannot be ignored - regardless of the likes or dislikes that arise both in relation to the Soviet Union, which freed the world from the brown plague in those years, and as applied to our country today,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
On May 8, 1945, America and Great Britain had victory over the Nazis!
"America's spirit will always win. In the end, that's what happens." pic.twitter.com/umCOwRXWlB
The Foreign Ministry also noted that the record received an extensive negative response from other users of social networks. The Foreign Ministry indicated that such critical comments are deleted by the authors of the publication in the White House account.
Among the comments under the recording there is often a photograph of the “Banner of Victory over the Reichstag” by Yevgeny Chaldey, options for its artistic processing, as well as other images of Berlin taken in May 1945. Some of these publications are accompanied by ironic inscriptions.
“American soldiers hoisted the banner on the Reichstag after they captured Berlin,” reads a comic comment by one of the users in response to a publication in the White House account.
“I don’t know, ignorance is this, arrogance, or both. This is extremely disrespectful. Whatever anyone thinks of the former Soviet Union, the fact is that it was the Soviet people who took Berlin, and that they lost more compatriots than any other country, ”says another comment.
In turn, journalist Ben Norton called the publication of the White House "a complete lie."
“Nazi Germany was defeated by the Soviet Union, not the United States and Great Britain. For most of World War II, America and Britain dealt in total with ten German divisions. The USSR alone fought with more than two hundred divisions. The White House is trying to rewrite history, ”he wrote.
In conclusion, the Foreign Ministry urged not to turn the topic of the feat of the older generation in the war into "another problem in bilateral relations, already experiencing difficult times."
“Russia and the United States, despite the differences, can, based on trust, mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests, give a joint rebuff to the growing challenges of our time,” the Foreign Ministry summed up, promising to “have a serious conversation” with American officials.
The situation was also expressed by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova. According to her, you can’t put up with such behavior.
“Call it what you want: falsification, mockery of common sense, rewriting of history. But when such a comment is allowed by the official authorities of the country, calling itself the leader of the free world and the defender of democracy, an implacable fighter with fakes, you can’t put up with this, ”Zakharova wrote on Facebook.
“Other participants will be erased from history”
Even before the publication of the White House on social networks, the Pentagon posted a presentation on its website listing the main milestones of World War II. In this document, the role of the USSR in the defeat of the Third Reich is presented mainly in a negative context.
In particular, the American defense department expressed the view that the Red Army mission in Europe led to devastating consequences for the region. The Pentagon also believes that Moscow "occupied" the Eastern European republics.
Commenting on the publications of the American departments on the war, Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, recalled the "standard sense of exclusivity for the United States."
“We must bear in mind that this statement is offensive not only to our people and the peoples of the former USSR, who made the main contribution to the defeat of Nazi Germany. Also for countries such as China and France, which, together with Great Britain, the USA and the USSR, participated in the creation of the UN as the leading members of the anti-Hitler coalition, dozens of other states that fought against Nazi Germany at different stages, ”the expert noted.
He suggested that in this way a modern understanding of the history of Western countries is formed.
“We already see data from sociological studies, including among schoolchildren and young people, which indicate that a significant percentage of the population of Europe and the United States are absolutely sure that only Americans won,” Shapovalov said.
In turn, the head of the Expert Council of the Strategic Development Fund Igor Shatrov noted that the United States is presenting its history based on the political situation. According to him, the United States wants to write its history of the XX century, in which they are the winners in World War II.
“They expect that gradually other participants in these events will be erased from history, and history according to the US will become universal. Some little thing can have far-reaching consequences, American propaganda consists of such little things, ”the expert concluded.