Sergey Guneev

Against the background of efforts undertaken by a number of Western countries to boycott celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the World War II in Moscow, willingness of leaders from Germany, China, India, South Africa, Mongolia, Vietnam and Cuba to take part in the celebrations is particularly significant.

Speaking at the last meeting of the Russian organizing committee “Victory”, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that 26 heads of states have confirmed of their participation in the celebrations of Victory Day in Moscow. He noted that many in Europe are well aware that these celebrations in the Russian capital are necessary not only to pay tribute to those who defended Europe and the world from Nazism, but also for improving the situation on the continent. At the same time, Lavrov stressed that “the Americans and aggressive hardliners from the European Union” have undertaken considerable efforts to convince the Europeans to boycott celebrations in Moscow. According to Andrei Ivanov, leading researcher from the Institute of International Studies, MGIMO, Washington is not interested in the normalization of relations between Russia and Europe, deteriorated by the crisis in Ukraine and in reminding, once again, to all mankind that the main contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany was made by Russia.

“The present attitude of Washington with regards to festivities in Moscow on the occasion of Victory is in stark contrast to the one taken in 2005. Then, US President George W. Bush had gladly come to the Russian capital. But since then, the world has undergone significant changes in relations for a revaluation of Russia’s role on the global stage and its relations with the West.”

In 2007, Putin, in his so-called Munich speech, very accurately, reproached the West, by mentioning that it has been neglecting Russia’s interests, and that this poses a threat to Moscow’s cooperation with Washington and Brussels. Unfortunately, Ivanov said, the West ignored these reasonable words mentioned by the Russian president and continued to follow its policies based on arrogance, selfishness and hypocrisy. Thus, in 2008, the West factually supported the Georgian aggression against South Ossetia and accused Russia for stopping the genocide of people from Ossetia. And a year ago, the West supported the illegal coup in Kiev, blessed the new Ukrainian government for suppressing the opposition and destruction of the insurgent population of Donetsk and Lugansk, and condemned Moscow for recognizing the decision taken by the people on reunification of Crimea with Russia and for extending moral and material support to the Novorossiya Region (New Russia).

In order to punish Russia for its independent political decisions, the West decided on a malicious slander, said Ivanov. Moscow was blamed for the downing of the Malaysian “Boeing” and for conducting the invasion of the territory of Ukraine. And now they want to strip Russia of its rights to consider itself as one of the winners of the Second World War. And the landing of Anglo-American forces in Normandy is being announced as the main event. But nobody in the West remembers that when a little later, the British and Americans got surrounded in the Ardennes, the Soviet Army saved them from imminent defeat by launching its offensive before time. Pure statistics say of the role played by USSR in the war: two thirds of all German divisions were defeated on the Eastern Front, that is, by Soviet troops.

“Of course we, in Russia, remember that the Soviet Union was helped by the Americans and the British by means of supply of military equipment (for which, nonetheless, the Soviet Union paid in gold and platinum). Mongolia sent horses and warm clothes to the USSR. And the Chinese partisans and the resistance troops from Kuomintang paralyzed the Japanese army, making it difficult for Tokyo to comply with the request of Berlin to attack USSR. Therefore, in May this year, on the Victory Day parade in Moscow, if Chinese soldiers march side by side with the Russian troops, it will be quite natural. And this fact will even serve as a hint that Russia is not in isolation. And that it has friends.”

The list of Russia’s friend is not limited just to China. The other day, Vietnam rejected Washington’s demands to close the base in Cam Ranh for the Russian Navy and Air Force. Russia is developing its relations very successfully with India and Cuba, including in the military-technical cooperation field. And, the decision taken by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to visit Moscow on May celebrations demonstrates that Germany wants to build its relations with Russia that are not dictated by Washington, but taking into consideration its own interests, stated Andrei Ivanov.

Soerce:   http://in.sputniknews.com/russia/20150319/1013812978.html