WWII remembered while Putin’s eye on Poland

History should be a basis for peace and partnership between nations. Ahead of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has laid out his view of the global tragedy.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to attend a Polish commemorative ceremony, which will look back at the catastrophic events which occurred on the 1st September, 1939.

In an interview given to a Polish newspaper, Vladimir Putin noted that Russia and Poland were partners against a common enemy and thanked the country for respecting the graves of 600,000 Russian soldiers located on the country’s territory.

The key point of the interview was, however, that nobody can rewrite history and the outcomes of the Second World War:

“The canvas of history is not a third-rate copy which can be roughly retouched or, following customer's orders, modified by the addition of bright or dark tints. Unfortunately, such attempts to rehash the past are quite common today. We see efforts to tailor history to immediate political needs,” Putin said.

The Prime Minister said that the creation of the anti-Hitler coalition was a perfect example of providing collective security in Europe. He also mentioned that this kind of security can only be provided with the participation of all countries, including Russia:

“All experience of the pre-war period provides strong evidence that it is impossible to set up an efficient system of collective security without the involvement of all the countries of the continent, including Russia,” the premier noted.

“I am sure Europe is able to give a joint impartial assessment of our common tragic past and to avoid repeating the same mistakes,” he added.

Putin also explained that Russia’s current partnership with Germany should serve as an example for future cooperation between Russia and Poland. He mentioned that, regrettably, there has been a long pause in the relationship between the two countries.

Read also: Russia's Medvedev Slams Europe for Ignorance in History