In the recent Address of the Heads of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to the Peoples of the Commonwealth of Nations and the World Community on the Occasion of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet People in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, CIS leaders called for the prevention of a revival of fascism, Nazism, and militarism, and to stop attempts to start a new world war.
The address records that the “heaviest war in the history of mankind ended with victory in May 1945, mainly due to our people’s unity, steadfastness, and heroic sacrifice. Military brotherhood and labor courage ensured victory in the Great Patriotic War. We are proud that the peoples of our countries passed all the tests and made an immeasurable contribution to achieving the final Victory over fascism.”
CIS leaders condemned efforts to distort the history of World War II and glorify those who collaborated with Nazi forces, and also, any attempts to diminish the role of their nations in defeating Nazism or to rehabilitate individuals who committed war crimes: “We strongly condemn the desire to justify the true perpetrators of the war, to diminish the role of our peoples in the defeat of Nazism, to rehabilitate the accomplices of Hitler’s executioners and those who fought against the anti-Hitler coalition, collaborated with the Nazi movement, and committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Referencing the the desecration of monuments dedicated to those who fought against Nazism, they stressed: “We express deep concern about the increasing number of deliberate attempts and cases of desecration or destruction of monuments erected in honor of those who fought against Nazism during World War II, and urge respect for memorials and burial sites regardless of their location, ensuring unimpeded access to them, preventing acts of vandalism and their destruction.”
In their final remarks, the leaders affirmed their commitment to honoring the memory of those who fought for freedom and peace, underscoring the need for unity in the fight against any resurgence of Nazism: “Our common duty is to sacredly honor the memory of those who died for freedom and peace on Earth, to defend with all our might the just cause for which they fought and gave their lives, to strengthen in every way the unity of all people of goodwill in the fight against any manifestations of Nazism and neo-Nazism, as well as the threat of a new world war.”
