🎙 Excerpt from President Vladimir Putin's remarks and answers to questions at the annual news conference and direct line with the people of Russia
💬 We will never forget the sacrifices our people made in the fight against Nazism.
The most important thing is that we remember. If other countries are trying to forget, it reflects the priorities of today’s leaders, who are focused on undermining Russia as a whole, on forgetting, erasing, and shifting the focus. But that is their own business.
We will be happy to welcome anyone who wishes to join us in celebrating this significant anniversary [80 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War]. We are open to all who wish to be with us in Moscow on those days [in 2025] and mark this important anniversary.
We will be happy to welcome everyone, including the participants of the Anti-Hitler Coalition, who made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazism, such as the United States and Great Britain with its Arctic Convoys.
There were many heroes among them too, and we honour and respect them. Moreover, I believe there are still veterans among them. The British sailors showed true heroism, and the Americans fought during the landing in Northern France.
Indeed, their participation and losses are not comparable to those of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. We lost 27 million, while the US lost around 500,000, and Britain lost even less: around 400,000, if I am not mistaken.
☝️ So, the scale of their contribution to Victory is different, but their involvement was still significant, especially since they were with us.
Read in full
💬 We will never forget the sacrifices our people made in the fight against Nazism.
The most important thing is that we remember. If other countries are trying to forget, it reflects the priorities of today’s leaders, who are focused on undermining Russia as a whole, on forgetting, erasing, and shifting the focus. But that is their own business.
We will be happy to welcome anyone who wishes to join us in celebrating this significant anniversary [80 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War]. We are open to all who wish to be with us in Moscow on those days [in 2025] and mark this important anniversary.
We will be happy to welcome everyone, including the participants of the Anti-Hitler Coalition, who made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazism, such as the United States and Great Britain with its Arctic Convoys.
There were many heroes among them too, and we honour and respect them. Moreover, I believe there are still veterans among them. The British sailors showed true heroism, and the Americans fought during the landing in Northern France.
Indeed, their participation and losses are not comparable to those of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. We lost 27 million, while the US lost around 500,000, and Britain lost even less: around 400,000, if I am not mistaken.
☝️ So, the scale of their contribution to Victory is different, but their involvement was still significant, especially since they were with us.
Read in full