Fri Sep 20 08:39:48 UTC 2024: ## Germany Scoffs at Russia’s Justification for 1939 Invasion of Poland
Berlin, Germany – In a scathing response, the German Foreign Ministry has dismissed Russia’s recent attempt to justify its 1939 invasion of Poland as an act of protection for Ukrainian and Belarusian populations.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry, marking the 85th anniversary of the invasion, posted a video on social media claiming the Soviet Union was forced to intervene to prevent a “genocide” of Ukrainians and Belarusians in Poland. The video further argued that depicting the Soviet Union as an aggressor is “at odds with historical truth.”
Germany’s response was a simple yet powerful “Seriously?” accompanied by a map of Poland signed by Joseph Stalin and Joachim von Ribbentrop, outlining their agreement to divide the country in the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. The tweet also included the hashtags #MolotovRibbentropPact and #HitlerStalinPact.
This latest attempt by Russia to rewrite history comes as no surprise. Russian President Vladimir Putin has long promoted pseudo-historical narratives to justify his country’s aggressive actions, including the ongoing war in Ukraine. Earlier this year, Putin blamed Poland for Nazi Germany’s invasion, leading to a furious response from the Polish government.
Germany’s sharp rebuke underlines the international community’s rejection of Russia’s distorted historical claims and underscores the need for factual accounts of the past.
First Piper 