Poland condemns Russian president on World War II claims

 Vincent Ikuomola, Abuja

THE Polish government has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin for his statement concerning Poland’s role in World War II.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki noted that rather than point fingers at Poland, the former Soviet Union Communist leaders should be blamed for the war crimes committed.

The world was engulfed in a war that spanned six years (1939-1945), which claimed an estimated total of between 70 and 85 million lives.

Putin had blamed the Western powers and Poland for the World War II, pointing at various treaties signed with Nazi Germany before the conflict began in 1939.

He also accused Poland of anti-Semitism, claiming a pre-war Polish ambassador promised to put up a statue of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in Warsaw for his pledge to send Jews to Africa.

But the Polish government said there was no truth in the claims of the Russian leader, describing it as another lie to cover up Russian crimes as well as a deliberate attempt to shift attention from the biting sanctions imposed on his country.

The statement reads in part: “Communist leaders, Joseph Stalin in the first place, are responsible for all these crimes. Eighty years after World War II started, attempts are made to rehabilitate Stalin for political goals of today’s President of Russia. These attempts must be met with strong opposition from every person who has at least basic knowledge about the history of the 20th century.

“President Putin has lied about Poland on numerous occasions, and he has always done it deliberately. This usually happens when Russian authorities feel international pressure related to their activities – and the pressure is exerted not on historical but contemporary geopolitical scene. In recent weeks, Russia has suffered several significant defeats – it failed in its attempt to take complete control over Belarus, the EU once again prolonged sanctions imposed on it for illegal annexation of Crimea, the so-called “Normandy Format” talks did not result in lifting these sanctions and simultaneously further restrictions were introduced – this time by the U.S., significantly hindering the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project. At the same time Russian athletes have just been suspended for four years for using doping.

“We consider President Putin’s words as an attempt to cover up these problems.”