Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly condemned attempts to “revise” the history of World War II during a call with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, May 6.
The conversation focused on efforts to counteract what Moscow views as attempts to falsify the outcome of the war.
In a statement released by the Kremlin, it was noted that both leaders were determined to protect the truth about the events of World War II. “It was noted that the two countries were determined to defend the truth about the events of World War II, to counter attempts to revise its outcome and falsify history,” the statement said.
As part of the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, Putin is set to address a grand military parade in Moscow on Friday for what Russia calls Victory Day. The Kremlin also highlighted that the memory of those who sacrificed their lives in the war is sacred in both Russia and Israel, where May 9 is also observed as a public holiday.
The phone call came after former U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion last week that the United States made the largest contribution to the Allied victory in World War II, a claim that angered Russia. In response, the Kremlin emphasized that both Putin and Netanyahu acknowledged “the decisive contribution of the Red Army and the entire Soviet people to the defeat of Nazism.”
The Israeli readout echoed these sentiments, with Netanyahu emphasizing the pivotal role played by the Red Army in the victory over the Nazis.
World War II, known in Russia as the “Great Patriotic War,” caused immense devastation to the Soviet Union, resulting in the loss of over 20 million civilian and military lives. The war also saw the systematic extermination of more than six million Jews during the Holocaust.
Throughout his presidency, Putin has consistently drawn on the trauma of the war to strengthen national identity, making May 9 Russia’s most significant public holiday and presenting his military as the defenders against fascism. Putin has also frequently referred to Russia’s actions in Ukraine as a fight against a “Nazi regime,” using this rhetoric as justification for the ongoing conflict, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.