In the midst of VE Day 70th anniversary commemorations in Europe and around the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly upheld the famous pact that the then Soviet Union made with Nazi Germany to carve up eastern Europe between them.
The declaration of support came during a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The Nazi-Soviet pact was made between Germany and the Soviet Union in 1939, prior to the Germans turning on the Soviet Union and invading it later in 1941 as part of its Operation Barbarossa. They agreed to split eastern Europe between them in a pact created by Molotov and Ribbentrop in an effort to secure non-aggression between the two countries.
Putin says that the then Soviet Union realised it had to deal with Germany’s expansion and its ministers made the pact to ensure that there would not be war between the two countries.
Putin was asked the question about the pact, since his culture minister Vladimir Medinskyhad recently publicly praised the pact as a triumph of Stalin’s diplomacy.
Putin commented that he agreed with his culture minister in that the pact was made to ensure security for the Soviet Union.
Putin added that his country had been forced to sign the pact since an agreement had already been signed between Germany, Britain, France and Italy in 1938 in Munich, which assumed that there would be no united front against Germany.
Situation in Europe by May/June 1941, immediately before Operation Barbarossa [Via]
Putin says that there had been many efforts by the Russians to estabilsh anti-Fascist sentiment in Europe, but that it did not succeed. Prior to these comments Putin had always condemned the pact as unethical, the Yahoo News reports.
He said that looking back any agreement any country made with the Nazis was morally unacceptable, and now people realise that none of them were going to be upheld.
On the other hand, Merkel condemned the pact, which would have divided up Poland and the Baltic states between Germany and the Soviet Union. She says she considers the pact unlawful.
Merkel visited Moscow a day after Russia held a massive military parade in Red Square to mark VE Day, but at which most western dignitaries did not attend.
Merkel stood with Putin to lay a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin walls in commemoration of all the Russian soldiers who lost their lives during the war.
Wakati wa maadhimisho ya miaka 70 ya siku ya Vita Vikuu vya Ulaya na duniani kote, Rais wa Urusi Vladimir Putin amethibitisha hadharani makubaliano maarufu ambayo Muungano wa Sovieti ulifanya na Ujerumani ya Nazi kugawanya Ulaya Mashariki kati yao. Taarifa ya kuunga mkono ilikuja wakati wa ziara ya Kansela wa Ujerumani Angela Merkel. Mkataba wa Nazi-Soviet ulianzishwa kati ya Ujerumani na Muungano wa Sovieti mwaka 1939 kabla ya Ujerumani kuishambulia Muungano wa Sovieti na kuivamia baadaye mwaka 1941 kama sehemu ya operesheni ya Barbarossa. Mkataba wa Ulaya ya Mashariki ulianzishwa na Molotov na Ribbentrop ili kuimarisha uhusiano kati ya nchi hizo mbili. Putin amesema Urusi ilitambua kuwa ilihitaji kukabiliana na upanuzi wa Ujerumani na mawaziri wake walifanya mkataba huo kuhakikisha kwamba hakutakuwa na vita kati ya nchi hizo mbili. Putin aliulizwa swali kuhusu mkataba huo, kwani waziri wake wa utamaduni Vladimir Medinsky hivi karibuni alikuwa amesifu kwa umma mkataba huo kama ushindi wa diplomasia ya Stalin. Putin alisema kuwa alishirikiana na waziri wake wa utamaduni katika kwamba mkataba huo ulifanywa ili kuhakikisha usalama wa Muungano wa Sovieti. Putin alisema kuwa nchi yake ililazimika kusaini mkataba huo kwa kuwa tayari kulikuwa na makubaliano kati ya Ujerumani, Uingereza, Ufaransa na Italia mnamo 1938 huko Munich, ambayo ilidhani kuwa hakutakuwa na mstari wa umoja dhidi ya Ujerumani. "Mwezi Mei 1941 wakati wa operesheni ya Barbarossa, Putin alisema kwamba ""hakuna mafanikio katika kuimarisha hisia za kupinga ufashisti katika Ulaya.""" Kabla ya maoni haya Putin alikuwa daima amekataa mkataba kama unethical, Yahoo News ripoti. "Amesema kuwa ""kuangalia nyuma makubaliano yoyote ambayo nchi yoyote ilifanya na Wanazi yalikuwa ya kukataliwa kiadili, na sasa watu wanatambua kwamba hakuna hata moja kati yao ambayo ingeweza kutekelezwa.""" Merkel alishutumu makubaliano hayo, ambayo yangegawanya Poland na nchi za Baltiki kati ya Ujerumani na Muungano wa Sovieti. Anasema kwamba anaona mkataba huo kuwa usio halali. Merkel alisafiri Moscow siku moja baada ya Urusi kuandaa maandamano makubwa ya kijeshi katika uwanja wa Red Square kuadhimisha siku ya ushindi wa Urusi, lakini ambapo viongozi wengi wa magharibi hawakuhudhuria. Merkel na Putin waliweka taji kwenye kaburi la askari asiyejulikana kwenye ukuta wa Kremlin, wakikumbuka askari wote wa Urusi waliokufa katika vita vya pili vya dunia.