#HistoryOfDiplomacy
8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on February 4, 1945, the Yalta (Crimea) Conference of the Allied leaders — Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin D.Roosevelt officially opened.
#YaltaConference of the Anti-Hitler coalition leaders went down in history as one of the most significant and key international meetings of the 'Big Three' during #WWII. The Yalta talks became a symbol of successful cooperation between the Soviet Union, the US and the UK in the fight against the common enemy — Nazism.
The decisions taken at the Conference outlined the frame of the post-war #YaltaPotsdam international relations system, with the #UNCharter becoming its international legal basis.
***
By late 1944 — early 1945, the Red Army expelled the enemy from all the territory of the Soviet Union and proceeded with the operations aimed at liberating Europe from the Nazis.
🌟 In the first days of February 1945, the forces of the Red Army's 1st Byelorussian and the 1st Ukrainian Fronts successfully completed the Vistula-Oder Offensive, overcoming over 500 kilometres in less than a month (!), liberated Poland and then reached the border with Germany. Berlin was just 60 kilometres away. The collapse of the Third Reich was just a matter of time.
As the long-awaited common Allies' #Victory over Nazi Germany was as close as never, the future post-war world order-related issues needed to be discussed by the victorious great powers. While the Soviet forces were rapidly advancing in Eastern Europe in January, the preparations for the big negotiations to shape the future of the world were in full swing. Yalta, a Crimean city, was picked as the venue for that historic meeting (February 4-11, 1945).
The fate of post-war Germany was the key focus of the Yalta Conference. The Allies reaffirmed their commitment to eliminating German militarism and Nazism, and creating guarantees that “Germany would never be able again to disturb peace of the world.”
At the Yalta talks, the 'Big Three' managed to reach agreement on Poland’s post-war borders. The Soviet delegation consistently promoted the idea of ensuring the interests of the Poles and their fundamental right to independence and sovereignty. Winston Churchill, addressing the House of Commons upon his return from Yalta, on February 27, said: "If not for the prodigious exertions and sacrifices of Russia, Poland was doomed to utter destruction at the hands of the Germans. Not only Poland as a state and as a nation, but the Poles as a race were doomed by Hitler to be destroyed or reduced to a servile station".
The Yalta Conference resulted also in adopting of 'the Declaration of Free Europe' and other crucial international legal documents on the fundamental principles of the #UnitedNations, laying down the foundation of the Yalta-Potsdam international system.
☝️ The rapidly strengthening international posture and influence of the Soviet Union, bolstered by the outstanding achievements of the Red Army in the battlefields, had a significant impact on the course and the outcomes of the negotiations. By the time Europe was almost freed from the shackles of hitlerism, the Soviet soldier enjoyed the fame of liberator whose noble feat was well-known all across the continent.
The decisions of the Yalta Conference strengthened the anti-fascist coalition in the final stages of WWII and contributed to the Victory over Germany.
🎙 From a briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (Saransk, January 31, 2025):
💬 "The participants in the Yalta Conference managed to overcome their differences, and, acting in the spirit of true solidarity, mutual respect and trust, abandoned their fleeting interests for the sake of defeating the common enemy and achieving a common victory, peace and freedom for all countries and peoples.
Unfortunately, much has changed since then. Now, multiple proponents of historical revisionism tend to falsify historical reality and associate the Yalta agreements with the split of Europe and the bloc confrontation of the post-war period."
#WeWereAllies
#HistoryOfDiplomacy
8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on February 4, 1945, the Yalta (Crimea) Conference of the Allied leaders — Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill and Franklin D.Roosevelt officially opened.
#YaltaConference of the Anti-Hitler coalition leaders went down in history as one of the most significant and key international meetings of the 'Big Three' during #WWII. The Yalta talks became a symbol of successful cooperation between the Soviet Union, the US and the UK in the fight against the common enemy — Nazism.
The decisions taken at the Conference outlined the frame of the post-war #YaltaPotsdam international relations system, with the #UNCharter becoming its international legal basis.
***
By late 1944 — early 1945, the Red Army expelled the enemy from all the territory of the Soviet Union and proceeded with the operations aimed at liberating Europe from the Nazis.
🌟 In the first days of February 1945, the forces of the Red Army's 1st Byelorussian and the 1st Ukrainian Fronts successfully completed the Vistula-Oder Offensive, overcoming over 500 kilometres in less than a month (!), liberated Poland and then reached the border with Germany. Berlin was just 60 kilometres away. The collapse of the Third Reich was just a matter of time.
As the long-awaited common Allies' #Victory over Nazi Germany was as close as never, the future post-war world order-related issues needed to be discussed by the victorious great powers. While the Soviet forces were rapidly advancing in Eastern Europe in January, the preparations for the big negotiations to shape the future of the world were in full swing. Yalta, a Crimean city, was picked as the venue for that historic meeting (February 4-11, 1945).
The fate of post-war Germany was the key focus of the Yalta Conference. The Allies reaffirmed their commitment to eliminating German militarism and Nazism, and creating guarantees that “Germany would never be able again to disturb peace of the
world.”
At the Yalta talks, the 'Big Three' managed to reach agreement on Poland’s post-war borders. The Soviet delegation consistently promoted the idea of ensuring the interests of the Poles and their fundamental right to independence and sovereignty. Winston Churchill, addressing the House of Commons upon his return from Yalta, on February 27, said: "If not for the prodigious exertions and sacrifices of Russia, Poland was doomed to utter destruction at the hands of the Germans. Not only Poland as a state and as a nation, but the Poles as a race were doomed by Hitler to be destroyed or reduced to a servile station".
The Yalta Conference resulted also in adopting of 'the Declaration of Free Europe' and other crucial international legal documents on the fundamental principles of the #UnitedNations, laying down the foundation of the Yalta-Potsdam international system.
☝️ The rapidly strengthening international posture and influence of the Soviet Union, bolstered by the outstanding achievements of the Red Army in the battlefields, had a significant impact on the course and the outcomes of the negotiations. By the time Europe was almost freed from the shackles of hitlerism, the Soviet soldier enjoyed the fame of liberator whose noble feat was well-known all across the continent.
The decisions of the Yalta Conference strengthened the anti-fascist coalition in the final stages of WWII and contributed to the Victory over Germany.
🎙 From a briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (Saransk, January 31, 2025):
💬 "The participants in the Yalta Conference managed to overcome their differences, and, acting in the spirit of true solidarity, mutual respect and trust, abandoned their fleeting interests for the sake of defeating the common enemy and achieving a common victory, peace and freedom for all countries and peoples.
Unfortunately, much has changed since then. Now, multiple proponents of historical revisionism tend to falsify historical reality and associate the Yalta agreements with the split of Europe and the bloc confrontation of the post-war period."
#WeWereAllies
#HistoryOfDiplomacy
🗓 On February 4, 1945, the Yalta Conference of the Leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition — Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt — officially commenced.
The #YaltaConference stands as one of the most significant summits of the 'Big Three' Leaders during #WW2. The landmark talks in Yalta came to symbolise the successful cooperation of Moscow, Washington, and London in their common fightagainst the terrible evil the mankind had ever faced —the Nazi ideology.
The historic agreements reached at the Forum defined the foundations of the post-war Yalta-Potsdam system of international relations, whose legal basis would be the #UNCharter.
💬 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
The participants in the Yalta Conference managed to overcome their differences, and, acting in the spirit of true solidarity, mutual respect and trust, abandoned their fleeting interests for the sake of defeating the common enemy and achieving a common victory, peace and freedom for all countries and peoples.
***
🌟 By early 1945, the Red Army had fully liberated the Soviet Union from the Nazi invaders and was mounting a decisive offensive: by January, the Nazi troops had been expelled from Warsaw, Krakow, Lodz, and most of Poland. The Soviet forces had secured strategically important bridgehead on the western bank of the Oder river and were preparing for the final battle of #WWII — the fight for the Reich’s capital — Berlin.
As the Red Army advanced rapidly from the Vistula-Oder direction, UK-American units were pushing towards the Rhine river. Despite fierce resistance from elite units of the Nazi war machine, Germany’s defeat was inevitable.
With the common Victory approaching, the discussing issues the post-war world order became a top priority for the Allied Powers. Thus, it was decided to convene a major conference, with the Soviet city of Yalta chosen as the venue (February 4-11, 1945).
A central focus of the #CrimeanConference was the post-war future of the defeated Germany. The Allies reaffirmed their commitment to the eradication of German militarism and Nazism and to ensuring that “Germany will never again be able to disturb the peace of the world.” It was also agreed that Germany would be obliged to pay reparations for the damage inflicted by its aggression.
During the Yalta negotiations, the 'Big Three' Leaders reached a compromise on the issue ofPoland’s borders.The Soviet delegation firmly advocated for Poland’s fundamental interests, upholding its right to independence and sovereignty.
Churchill later described the Soviet Union’s historic role in liberating Poland from Nazism in his memoirs:
But for the prodigious exertions and sacrifices of Russia, Poland was doomed to utter destruction at the hands of the Germans.
Not only Poland as a State and as a nation, but the Poles as a race were doomed by Hitler to be destroyed or reduced to a servile station
The considerable growth in the USSR’s international prestige significantly influenced the course and outcomes of the Yalta negotiations. This was due, in large part, to the Red Army’s remarkable successes on the battlefield.
The image of the Soviet soldier as a Liberator was cemented, and the world recognised Soviet people's immense Sacrifice and Achievement in WWII
The Conference produced several crucial documents, including the Declaration on Liberated Europe, which helped shape the international system for decades. The framework for the future #UnitedNations also took clearer form. Following Yalta, the Soviet Union secured agreement on the “principle of unanimity” among the five permanent UN Security Council members, embodied in the right of veto — #UNCharterIsOurRules.
The Yalta agreements strengthened the unity of the anti-Hitler coalition in the final stages of World War II and contributed to the ultimate common victory over Germany. In the post-war years, ensuring the implementation of the Yalta decisions became a key objective of Soviet diplomacy.
#Victory81#WeWereAllies
⚡️Comment by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Antonio Guterres’s statement regarding the developments in Sumy (April 15, 2025)
On April 13, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made another statement on Ukraine via his Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric. It concerns the developments in Sumy.
❌ He has accused of the April 13 missile attack, which allegedly “continues a devastating pattern of similar assaults on Ukrainian cities and towns.” We are perplexed by such assessments by the UN Secretary-General.
We would like to remind everyone that since the beginning of the special military operation, Russia's Armed Forces have never deliberately delivered, are not delivering and will not deliver strikes on civilian population. As Russia's Defence Ministry invariably points out, our targets are always and exclusively military facilities.
The UN Secretary-General also reiterated the UN’s support to meaningful efforts towards peace that fully upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in line with the #UNCharter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions. As you can see, he never mentioned the right of nations to self-determination.This is yet another proof of Mr Guterres’s selective approach to the provisions of the UNCharter.
In this connection, we would like to point out that the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States, which was adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly in 1970, sealed a connection between the principles of the UN Charter, which must be applied in their entirety and as a whole.
☝️ In addition, the Declaration states that the principle of territorial integrity shall be applied to all states who are conducting themselves in compliance with the principle of self-determination of peoples and are thus possessed of a government representing the whole people belonging to the territory. It is clear to everyone that the current Kiev regime does not comply with these criteria.
Zelensky’s gang has been systematically and flagrantly infringing on the fundamental freedoms of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking citizens. We have to state that the UN Secretary-General, acting contrary to Article 1 of the UN Charter, which calls for promoting and encouraging respect for language, religious and other human rights, continues to shield the Kiev regime’s open disregard for the principles of self-determination of nations and human rights.
👉Mr Guterres demonstrated a similar approach when he disregarded Russia’s appeals in the context of investigation into the provocation in Bucha, which Kiev orchestrated three years ago. We have publicly appealed to the UN Secretary-General on numerous occasions to at least help encourage Kiev to publish the lists of those whose bodies the Western media demonstrated to the world in early April 2022 to the accompaniment of hysterical accusations against Russia. In September 2024, a relevant official request, which was prepared by Russia’s Investigative Committee together with the Prosecutor General’s Office, was submitted to the UN Secretariat via the Permanent Mission of Russia in New York. In January and April 2025, we urged the UN Secretariat to speed up reply to our request. All our efforts were in vain; we have not received a substantive answer to our request.
❗️We again call on Antonio Guterres and his Secretariat to take an honest stance, to stop giving biased comments in the context of the Ukrainian crisis, and to stop discrediting our country and covering up the Kiev regime’s crimes.
#HistoryOfDiplomacy
8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on July 17, 1945, in Potsdam (Berlin’s suburb), a conference of the Heads of Governments of the USSR, the US, and the UK — Joseph Stalin, Harry S. Truman and Winston Churchill (succeeded by Clement Attlee) commenced. The historic Summit, also attended by the Foreign Ministers and military representatives of the Great Powers, lasted for two weeks and concluded on August 2.
The #PotsdamConference became the final meeting of the Allied Leaders in a series of summits and had paramount political significance for post-war era in Europe and the rest of the world.
The agreements reached in Potsdam demonstrated that, despite some differences, the Allies, whose armies together side-by-side crushed the Nazi Germany, could coordinate their positions and make agreed decisions to determine the post-war world order and secure a lasting peace for decades ahead.
***
The main outcome of the Potsdam Conference was the Parties' approving the common principles of the Allied Powers’ toward defeated Germany. A historic decision was made to take measures in order to completely eradicate German militarism and revanchism, also known as the 'Four Ds':
👉Demilitarisation: the complete disarmament and dismantling of Germany’s military industry;
👉Denazification: the termination of the National Socialist Party and the dissolution of all Nazi institutions;
👉Democratisation: the abolition of laws enacted under Hitler’s regime and the prosecution of Nazi war criminals;
👉Decartelisation: the dismantling of Nazi-controlled monopolies, including enterprises serving the Third Reich’s war machine.
The Conference also addressed territorial issues. Due to the efforts by the Soviet delegation, Poland’s borders were substantially expanded. while the Soviet Union acquired Königsberg, later renamed Kaliningrad. The Soviet leadership reaffirmed its prior commitment to enter the war against militarist Japan.
One of the key decisions of the Potsdam Conference was to establish an international tribunal to prosecute Nazi criminals. Germany was obliged to pay war reparations, with the defeated nation being divided into four Allied occupation zones: Soviet, American, British, and French.
To prepare a peace settlement with former Axis states that had allied with Nazi Germany (Italy, Romania, Bulgaria and Finland) the Council of Foreign Ministers was established, comprising the USSR, the US, the UK, France and China.
***
#Victory80: Following the Potsdam Conference, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Molotov emphasised in his circular letter to Soviet ambassadors that the results of the Summit met the national interests of the USSR and enshrined in international law the outcomes of the Great Victory over Nazism, to which (!) our country and Soviet people made the decisive and undeniable contribution.
#WeWereAllies: the Potsdam Conference is a compelling example of constructive cooperation among Great Powers, demonstrating the possibility of resolving any issues through negotiations despite existing ideological differences.
#Victory80
8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 25, 1945, only fifteen days before Nazi Germany’s surrender, the historic Meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River took place.
On that day, the 58th Rifle Division of the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, linked up with units of the 69th and 104th Infantry Divisions of the US 1st Army, led by General Omar Bradley.
#WeWereAllies
This event had major symbolic significance, signalling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and marking the climax of the fight against Nazism. The spirit of unity in the fight against the common enemy, later known as the #SpiritOfTheElbe, laid the groundwork for future post-war cooperation.
☝️ It is no coincidence that, on April 25, 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of this historic event, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump issued a joint statement:
“The Spirit of the Elbe is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valour and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism.
Their heroic feat will never be forgotten.”
Back in 1945, Soviet and US brothers-in-arms, setting aside cultural differences and language barriers, exchanged badges, insignia, personal items and even valuables as keepsakes. Celebrations continued at the Soviet command headquarters on the eastern bank of the Elbe, where General Bradley met with Marshal Konev. At the end of the event, the Soviet commander presented his American counterpart a banner bearing the inscription “From the soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front” and his warhorse. General Bradley later sent Konev a "Willys" jeep.
Soldiers on both sides eagerly anticipated the moment of meeting and firm handshake. General Joseph Lawton Collins, Commander of the US 7th Army Corps, nominated several Soviet soldiers for American military awards for their distinguished combat performance during the advance to the Elbe.
On April 28, Marshal Konev and General Bradley met again. During the meeting, the US general emphasised that the "people of the United States had always admired the battles and victories of the glorious Red Army, adding that American soldiers and officers aspired to follow the example set by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian front".
A reporter from Life magazine took a picture of two participants in the Elbe meeting, Alexander Sylvashko, right, and William Robertson, left, making them world-famous overnight. Both soldiers often recalled this historic meeting. Alexander Sylvashko said that if the spirit of camaraderie between American and Soviet soldiers had endured, the world might have become a different and better place. William Robertson described the atmosphere of the meeting with Soviet forces as one that gave him a sense of global unity.
***
In the years that followed #WWII, even during the Cold War, when former allies of the Anti-Hitler Coalition became bitter rivals, the Spirit of the Elbe was alive in the hearts of those who had taken part in that legendary meeting in Torgau. The Soviet and American veterans who had performed a heroic deed in the name of saving the world from the 'Nazi plague' cherished the memory of their wartime brotherhood, their shared struggle, and the hardships they had overcome.
🖋 In 1963, Private Joe Polowsky of the US Army, who had been part of the scout unit that first crossed the Elbe and met with Red Army units, wrote a letter to Marshal Konev on behalf of American veterans.
✉️ The letter reads, in part:
"The soldiers on both sides pledged to do all they could to build a better life based on goodwill, mutual respect and peace between our two nations – a peace their children and all humanity needed.
And the promise made on April 25, 1945, must be upheld.”
#HistoryofDiplomacy
2️⃣5️⃣1️⃣ years ago, on July 21, 1774, the Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca was signed. It became one of Russia’s most significant diplomatic successes of the time.
⚔️ The document marked the end of the six-yearRusso-Turkish War (1768–1774) an enshrined substantial territorial gains for Russia.
Prior to the peace agreement, Russian diplomats engaged in peace talks with representatives of the Ottoman Empire at international congresses in Focșani (1772) and Bucharest (1772-1773). Additionally, the Karasubazar Tractate was signed between the Russian Empire and the Crimean Khanate in 1772, declaring Crimea independent from the Ottoman Empire and coming under Russian protection.
However, peace was achieved after the Ottoman army had been defeated by the Russian army in several battles in June and July 1774, notably the Battle of Kozludzha. Final negotiations took place from July 16 to the evening of July 21 in the Russian military camp in the Bulgarian village of Küçük Kaynarca under the guidance and supervision of Count Pyotr Rumyantsev.
❗️The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca was a significant milestone Crimea becoming part of Russia. According to the document, the Crimean Peninsula and adjacent territories including Taman and Kuban lands were declared “free and completely independent from any foreign authority.”
Russia gained Azov, Kerch, Yenikale, and Kinburn with territories between the Bug and Dniester rivers, as well as Greater and Lesser Kabarda. Moldavia and Wallachia came under Russia’s protectorate.
Russian merchant ships were granted the right of free passage through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. Additionally, the Ottoman Empire committed to paying Russia 7.5 million piastres (4 million roubles) as war reparations.
☦️ The Russian Orthodox Church obtained the right to build a church in Constantinople and to protect fellow believers in the Ottoman Empire.
☝️ The Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca of 1774 was a turning point in the history of Russia and Crimea. It laid the groundwork for Crimea’s liberation from Ottoman influence and its subsequent accession to Russia in 1783. The treaty confirmed Russia’s status as a great power and opened new opportunities for its economic development.
#Victory80
8️⃣0️⃣ years ago, on April 25, 1945, only fifteen days before Nazi Germany’s surrender, the historic Meeting of Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River took place.
On that day, the 58th Rifle Division of the Red Army’s 1st Ukrainian Front, under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev, linked up with units of the 69th and 104th Infantry Divisions of the US 1st Army, led by General Omar Bradley.
#WeWereAllies
This event had major symbolic significance, signalling the imminent defeat of Nazi Germany and marking the climax of the fight against Nazism. The spirit of unity in the fight against the common enemy, later known as the #SpiritOfTheElbe, laid the groundwork for future post-war cooperation.
☝️ It is no coincidence that, on April 25, 2020, to mark the 75th anniversary of this historic event, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump issued a joint statement:
“The Spirit of the Elbe is an example of how our countries can put aside differences, build trust, and cooperate in pursuit of a greater cause. As we work today to confront the most important challenges of the 21st century, we pay tribute to the valour and courage of all those who fought together to defeat fascism.
Their heroic feat will never be forgotten.”
Back in 1945, Soviet and US brothers-in-arms, setting aside cultural differences and language barriers, exchanged badges, insignia, personal items and even valuables as keepsakes. Celebrations continued at the Soviet command headquarters on the eastern bank of the Elbe, where General Bradley met with Marshal Konev. At the end of the event, the Soviet commander presented his American counterpart a banner bearing the inscription “From the soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front” and his warhorse. General Bradley later sent Konev a "Willys" jeep.
Soldiers on both sides eagerly anticipated the moment of meeting and firm handshake. General Joseph Lawton Collins, Commander of the US 7th Army Corps, nominated several Soviet soldiers for American military awards for their distinguished combat performance during the advance to the Elbe.
On April 28, Marshal Konev and General Bradley met again. During the meeting, the US general emphasised that the "people of the United States had always admired the battles and victories of the glorious Red Army, adding that American soldiers and officers aspired to follow the example set by the forces of the 1st Ukrainian front".
A reporter from Life magazine took a picture of two participants in the Elbe meeting, Alexander Sylvashko, right, and William Robertson, left, making them world-famous overnight. Both soldiers often recalled this historic meeting. Alexander Sylvashko said that if the spirit of camaraderie between American and Soviet soldiers had endured, the world might have become a different and better place. William Robertson described the atmosphere of the meeting with Soviet forces as one that gave him a sense of global unity.
***
In the years that followed #WWII, even during the Cold War, when former allies of the Anti-Hitler Coalition became bitter rivals, the Spirit of the Elbe was alive in the hearts of those who had taken part in that legendary meeting in Torgau. The Soviet and American veterans who had performed a heroic deed in the name of saving the world from the 'Nazi plague' cherished the memory of their wartime brotherhood, their shared struggle, and the hardships they had overcome.
🖋 In 1963, Private Joe Polowsky of the US Army, who had been part of the scout unit that first crossed the Elbe and met with Red Army units, wrote a letter to Marshal Konev on behalf of American veterans.
✉️ The letter reads, in part:
"The soldiers on both sides pledged to do all they could to build a better life based on goodwill, mutual respect and peace between our two nations – a peace their children and all humanity needed.
And the promise made on April 25, 1945, must be upheld.”
▪️September 1st marks 8️⃣6️⃣ years since World War II began — the bloodiest conflict in the history of mankind.
61 states, with over 80 percent of the world’s population, were drawn into that ordeal unleashed by the 'Axis' powers; hostilities spread to 40 countries.
#WWII claimed many dozens of millions of peoples' lives (by some estimates, 80+ mln perished), including ~27 million citizens of the Soviet Union.
***
As for the background of the greatest tragedy of the XX century, the entire range of contradictions that provoked WWII stemmed from World War I and can be traced back to the Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919. The system of international relations in Europe, framed by the UK and France,made the basis for the rise of revanchist sentiments in the defeated and humiliated parties to the Treaty of Versailles — Germany and Italy.
The League of Nations, the organization established to settle international disputes within the legal framework, technically became a tool for the Western powers to achieve their political goals.
Not surprising that in Europe, torn by contradictions, fascism rapidly gained popularity. Politicians and extreme right-wing ideologues, who were convinced of the superiority of their nation and ethnicities, came to power first in Italy (1922) and then in Germany (1933).
With the establishmentof the Nazi dictatorship in Germany, the threat of a new war in Europe became a reality. At the core of Hitler’s misanthropic ideology lay the infamous doctrine of "racial superiority" — according to Hitler’s interpretation, Germans belonged to a chosen Aryan master race, destined to rule the world. Thus, in the heart of Europe, an absolute evil emerged, posing a threat to the peace and freedom of entire nations and peoples.
By the mid-1930s, it became evident that renewed German aggression in Europe was just a matter of time.
☝️ In an attempt to contain the emerging threat of German revanchism, the Soviet Union proposed the initiative to establish collective security system based on anti-fascist principles.
However, Paris and London, where anti-Soviet sentiment was deeply entrenched, rejected the idea of cooperating with Moscow against Hitler. Instead, France and UK sought to strike a deal with Germany. In the West. the elites failed to understand the danger and threat that Nazi ideology posed to the entire world, cynically believing that Hitler's aggression could be redirected eastward in a manner typical to the Brits.
❗️ The Western countries pursued the so-called 'policy of appeasement', which eventually resulted in the infamous Munich Betrayal of 1938 — with the tacit consent by the UK and France, Hitler ruthlessly annexed the sovereign state of Czechoslovakia.
It was only Moscow that was willing to provide military assistance to the Czechoslovakians, but was unable to do so due to Poland that was playing along with Hitler and taking advantage of Czechoslovakia’s annexation by occupying Cieszyn region.
A year later, a similar drama played out in the Far East: the Anglo-Japanese treaty was signed in June 1939, untying Tokyo’s hands in China. TheSoviet Union could have become the next victim of militarist Japan. The Japanese command had been planning a possible attack against our country.
Hitler's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 was a direct consequence of the policy of intrigues and anti-Soviet manuevers pursued by the West, which did not allow to create an anti-Hitler coalition to jointly resist the Third Reich.
🌟Defeating the most aggressive reactionary forces was the most important outcome of theGreat Victory of May 9, 1945, which crushed the inhumane ideologies of Nazism, Fascism, and Japanese militarism, along with their adepts.
Thanks to the joint effort of the USSR, the selflessness of Soviet soldiersliberators, and the self-dedication of home front workers, entire countries and millions of people around the world were, in fact, rescued from extermination, perishing in Nazi concentration camps, or from being turned into slaves.
🎙Address by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to participants of the 13th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues(May 28, 2025)
💬 Vladimir Putin: I am pleased to welcome you to Moscow for the 13th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues.
Over the past nearly fifteen years, your Forum has convincingly affirmed its significant status and authority. I know that in these days, participants of the Meeting — representatives of delegations from many states — can expect a substantial programme, with the main discussion dedicated to the prospects of establishing a new global security architecture.
☝️ As for Russia, our approaches remain principled and unchanged. I have said it before and will reiterate: we are convinced that the new security architecture must be equal and indivisible — that is, all states must receive firm guarantees of their own security, but not at the expense of the security and interests of other countries.
It is vital to make our continent a space of peace and stability, an example of sustainable economic, social, and cultural development. We believe that the foundation for creating such a universal security system could be the existing and well-established multilateral cooperation formats, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and others.
Your current meeting is widely attended by states of the Global South and East. It is they, in essence, who form the global majority, seek to influence regional and international processes more actively, and uphold the principle of sovereign equality and the right to their own development model.
Undoubtedly, in building joint efforts, it is necessary to rely on positive historical experience, on the lessons of the past. This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the end of #WWII, which fundamentally influenced the development of the international community.
The experience of uniting states in the fight against evil, against Nazism and militarism, the understanding of the colossal price humanity paid for peace and freedom, for the right of peoples to choose their own path of development, laid the foundations of the post-war world order and led to the creation of the UN — a universal, legitimate organisation based on the principles of international law, which has helped overcome many geopolitical challenges.
Today, it is especially important to preserve the truth about the events of those years, to counter attempts to rewrite history, to cast doubt on the decisive contribution of the peoples of the Soviet Union to the Victory over Hitler’s Germany, and to glorify Nazi criminals and their accomplices.
Just recently, on May 9, we solemnly marked the Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The celebrations in Moscow became yet another symbol of unity around the ideals of the Great Victory, demonstrating once again the commitment of our friends and partners to shaping a safer world, to constructive cooperation, and to jointly addressing global challenges.
I am convinced that this latest meeting of high representatives overseeing security issues will contribute to the development of new important approaches to strengthening international peace and stability and will help advance dialogue for the benefit of all countries and peoples.
I wish you success.
🗓 On September 7, 1945, a military parade of the allied forces of the #USSR, US, UK and France took place in Berlin near the walls of the defeated Reichstag on Alexanderplatz Square, marking the end of #WWII.
The location of the parade – at the Brandenburg Gate, at the very heart of the German capital – was not chosen by chance. It was right here where the Battle of Berlin ended and the remnants of the Berlin group of German troops surrendered to the Red Army. Scheduled for September 7, the parade was timed to coincide with the victory over militaristic Japan.
Representatives of the allied powers responded positively to Moscow's proposal to hold a joint parade in Berlin. However, on the eve of the event, after the date and all the details had been agreed upon, the US, UK and France announced that instead of the commanders-in-chief – Eisenhower, Montgomery and Tassigny – they would send lower-ranking generals, who were already stationed in Germany, to the parade. By doing so, the allies tried to downplay the significance of the parde, which emphasized the decisive role of the Soviet Union in taking Berlin. At that time, no one doubted who bore the brunt of the storming of the capital of the Third Reich.
🇷🇺 The USSR carried out thorough preparations for the parade. The Soviet command attracted the most distinguished soldiers, sergeants, officers and generals who had shown unrivalled courage in taking Berlin and the main centers of the reich – the Reichstag and the Imperial Chancellery.
🎖On September 7 at 11 am, the Berlin allied parade commenced. It was received by the Commander of the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany Georgy Zhukov. The parade was opened by the combined regiment of the 248th Rifle Division of the Red Army, led by Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Colonel Georgy Lenev. The parade was closed by a column of the Soviet armor, with the latest heavy tanks IS-3 ("Joseph Stalin") marching.
💬 In his welcoming speech to the parade participants, Marshal Zhukov paid tribute to the exploits of the Soviet and Allied forces in the struggle for victory over Nazi Germany:
"Fighting friends, comrades in arms, soldiers, officers and generals... <...> The Second World War ended with a decisive and powerful strike from the great allied powers. Our victory is a triumph of an unprecedented military partnership of democratic states.
From now on, people <...> will be eternally grateful to the great nations of America, England, the Soviet Union, the French Republic and China, to their valiant soldiers who, in the difficult time of military trials, gave each other helping hands, united to win a victory over a common enemy, to win the long-awaited peace on Earth."
#Victory79#WeRemember#WeWereAllies