Asta

Dear western journalists. No. Russia does not “remember World War II” on 9 May. It doesn’t remember signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact that started the war. It doesn’t remember its invasions and illegal annexations of sovereign European countries in agreement with the Nazis. It doesn’t remember that the countries it invaded were neutral and had a right to exist in international law (and still do, by the way). It doesn’t remember that Western democracies fought the Nazis from the start of the war - while Russia was in effective alliance with the Nazis. It doesn’t remember its praise for the Nazis in the first two years of the war & how it aligned its propaganda to claim they had the same enemies. It doesn’t remember its extensive mutual assistance with the Nazis in the first two years of the war. In fact, it doesn’t remember literally any of the first two years of the war. (Check the dates on their commemorations today.) It doesn’t remember the mass atrocities it committed against the people of occupied countries. It doesn’t remember the many “Soviet” lives lost fighting the Nazis who were not Russian. It claims people from occupied countries and other republics as its own sacrifice. It doesn’t remember lend-lease and other considerable allied contributions to support the Soviet Union when it was forced to switch sides to the allies. It doesn’t remember that it continued its repressive occupations after the war here in the Baltics, as originally agreed with the Nazis. It doesn’t remember the post-WW2 settlement that led to the development of international law, which crucially meant that borders should never again be changed by force. It doesn’t remember the main lessons of WW2 that “never again” should we tolerate totalitarianism and aggression as a tool of statecraft. These are all key details for anyone actually remembering WW2, which took place from 1939 to 1945. Countries like ours consigned to aggression in the Nazi-Soviet Pact will never forget WW2 in its entirety and the lessons for the world today. Its why we detest Nazi and Soviet totalitarianism. It’s why we annulled the Nazi-Soviet Pact to restore our independence. It’s why we rebuilt free, open democracies where history can be freely discussed. It’s why we support international law, the rights of all nations to exist, and all people to have their freedoms. It’s why we support Ukraine.