According to RIA Novosti, Stepashin stated this during his speech at a round table on the topic: “Volgograd or Stalingrad?
80 years later: the lessons of history and modern meanings.
“For me, the hero city of Stalingrad is not only our history, it is our life and country,” said the former prime minister.
According to Stepashin, the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad actually saved the country in the Great Patriotic War.
He recalled that there is Stalingrad Square in Paris.
“It would be wrong not to have the city of Stalingrad in my country,” Stepashin concluded.
How the defense of Stalingrad influenced the outcome of the Great Patriotic War is described in the material RT.