Putin: Attempts to Rewrite WWII History Aimed at Undermining Russia

Russian President Putin said that attempts to rewrite history of WWII are aimed at putting nations at loggerheads and using historical speculation in geopolitical games.

Attempts to rewrite and falsify the history of World War II are aimed at undermining the authority and power of modern Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday.

"Sometimes one does not have the heart to recount all the shameless conclusions and the so-called insights which have nothing to do with the truth," the Russian leader said at a meeting of the organizing committee of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory Day.

The attempts to rewrite history are designed "to undermine the power and moral authority of modern Russia, deprive of its status of the country-winner [of World War II] with all the expected international legal consequences, as well as to divide and put nations at loggerheads and to use historical speculation in geopolitical games," he said.

In January, the Russian president said that attempts to rewrite history were often driven by a desire to hide shame and complicity with the Nazis.

Early January, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk amazed the world with an announcement that the USSR invaded Ukraine and Germany during WWII, not taking into account the fact that prior to the Second World War, most of Ukraine, including Kiev, was part of the Soviet Union.

Moscow sent invitations to a number of world leaders to attend the Victory Parade commemorating the 70th anniversary of Nazi Germany surrender, and marking the end of World War II.

The leaders of 26 countries confirmed their participation in Victory Day parade on May 9, however, European Council President Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron declined Moscow's invitation. The move reflects recent tensions between the West and Russia amid the accusations of Moscow's alleged involvement in the Ukrainian internal affairs.