Translated material
Historical document
State Duma deputies have prepared a response to anti-Russian attacks from foreign countries
Today the State Duma will consider a draft statement from the chamber in response to the anti-Russian moves of a number of parliaments of foreign countries. According to deputies, demands for Russia to apologize to this or that country for its occupation by the Soviet Union, and even with the payment of colossal compensation for the damage caused, are becoming too intrusive. In addition, the US Senate recently added its weighty voice to this chorus, adopting a document recommending Russia to recognize the fact of Soviet occupation of the Baltic countries.However, this time the Russian parliament, known for its not too scrupulousness, turned out to be not inclined to foolishness, so the response to the latest moves of some parliaments of European countries and the US Senate, prepared by three Duma committees - on international affairs, on CIS affairs and on veterans' affairs, - turned out to be balanced. Left-wing deputies even criticized him for the fact that “Russian parliamentarians have no reaction to the position taken by the US Senate on the issue of the “occupation” of the Baltic countries by the Soviet Union.”
The State Duma wants to emphasize that it does not intend to participate in this quarrel (although the very fact of adopting such a resolution seems to already mean participation). What is important for the Russian parliament is not bickering, but the desire to urge the parliaments of European states to condemn attempts to distort history and rehabilitate fascism. This is what is said in the State Duma’s draft statement “On attempts to falsify history.”
“The State Duma calls on the parliaments of European states to condemn all attempts to rehabilitate fascism and distortion of history and to outlaw all forms of national, racial and other discrimination that are unacceptable in Europe of the third millennium,” the document says. While former SS men march through the streets of the Baltic capitals, and politicians grossly distort very recent history, integrating versions convenient for them into the analysis of the causes and results of the Second World War, the former allies of the USSR are either bashfully silent or openly support this collective action, monstrous in relation to to the people who, at the cost of incredible sacrifices, defeated fascism. The draft statement emphasizes that 60 years ago no one in the world questioned the role of the Soviet Union and its allies in the fight against fascism. “Deputies of the State Duma insist that declaring the Soviet Union, which suffered most from Hitler’s aggression, as an accomplice in the outbreak of the Second World War has neither historical, nor legal, nor moral justification,” the draft statement says.
Deputies note some deliberate historical inaccuracies that plague the challenges of European parliaments. For example, they claim that the Second World War began with the conclusion in 1939 of the “notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.” But it began “with the so-called Munich Agreement of 1938,” which made it possible for Hitler’s Germany to “dismember Czechoslovakia and contribute to the outbreak of the Second World War.”
The State Duma's draft statement connects the new activity with the visit of US President George W. Bush, first to Riga and then to Tbilisi, which, according to State Duma deputies, was perceived by Latvia and Georgia “almost as carte blanche to continue anti-Russian attacks.” After all, as the document notes, “the US position on these issues is a kind of guideline for the Baltic states.” This relationship was reinforced by a US Senate resolution. This is not the kind of mark that should have been left in history by the participation of the US President in the celebration of the 60th anniversary of our common victory over fascism, deputies believe.
“Deputies of the State Duma believe that it is time to draw a line under irresponsible and opportunistic attempts to revise history, adjusting facts of the past to suit the immediate political needs of individual states: falsification and suppression of facts of the past is not only offensive to the memory of millions of victims of fascism, but can also cause outright harm to future generations “, says the draft statement of the State Duma.
The problem is that those parliaments that the State Duma decided to condemn can also provide facts in favor of their position. So, perhaps, just “silencing”, stopping the exchange of attacks at the parliamentary level, would be the most worthy way out of the very story that the State Duma calls not to revise.