Posted on 05/06/2005 5:14:29 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Russian plans to mark 60 years since the end of World War II will make a mockery of the occasion, world leaders have been warned.
A group of politicians, academics and human rights campaigners have signed an open letter attacking Russia's record on democracy and political freedom.
They say official ceremonies to be held in Moscow undermine the memory of those who fought and died in the war.
Signatories include ex-Czech President Vaclav Havel and former US ambassadors.
Moscow has also upset neighbours Georgia, Estonia and Lithuania, who all plan to boycott Monday's ceremonies.
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is staying away because Russia and Georgia have failed to agree on a timetable for closing Soviet-era bases in his country.
In a separate row, Estonia and Lithuania are boycotting the ceremonies because they say their liberation from the Nazis marked the start of Soviet occupation.
Latvia will send dignitaries - but along with Estonia and Lithuania it wants Russia to apologise for the Baltic states' annexation by the Soviet Union in 1940.
'Mockery'
Russian President Vladimir Putin said recently that the three Baltic states had been "treated as pawns in world politics" but said Moscow had already apologised and would not do so again.
"Must we do this every day, every year? That is downright senseless," he told German television.
Pro-democracy campaigners in Europe and the US have expressed growing concerns about modern Russia.
In the letter, to be published in full in the UK's Financial Times newspaper to coincide with the 9 May ceremonies, signatories accuse Russia of betraying the principles behind victory in 1945.
They write: "[We] believe the venue and hosting of this event are altogether unsuited to the fundamental principles for which that historic victory... was achieved."
Russia in 2005 lacks strong democratic institutions, while political freedoms, civil liberties and the rule of law are weak, the signatories allege.
"It seems to us a mockery of the occasion to gather there in honour of the 20th century's climactic sacrifice for Europe's freedom."
As well as Mr Havel, the letter's 75 signatories include former prime ministers of Estonia and Bulgaria and academics and democracy activists from eastern and western Europe and the US.
Several current and former members of the European parliament, US congress and UK parliament also signed the letter.
Richard Allen, former national security adviser to former US President Ronald Reagan, has signed, alongside several former ambassadors.
Russia has been accused of concentrating too much power in the hands of the Kremlin, and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently criticised levels of media freedom.
...v ehtom godu reshili ne delat' voenniy parad na Kreshchatike, t.k. veteranov ostalos' malo i ikh sam Yushchenko sprashival: 'nuzhen li vam parad?' Oni otvetili, chto im ne pod silam idti po Kreshchatiku, utomitel'no. Reshili nakryvat' stoly, kotorye postavyat na Kreshchatike i ugoshchat' vsekh veteranov. A kak budet na samom dele, ehshche ne znayu. Obsuzhdalas' dolgo ehta tema, chto reshili ya ne znayu. No kontsert na Maydane obyazatel'no budet, feerverki, massovye gulyan'ya.She writes in Russian because my Ukrainian is pretty bad. Another interesting letter:"This year they decided not to have a military parade on the Kreshchatik (Kyiv's downtown), since there aren't a lot of veterans and Yushchenko asked them himself, 'Do you need a parade?' They answered that they didn't have the strength to go along the Kreshchatik. They decided to set out tables of food and treat all the veterans. How it will be in reality, I don't know. But there'll be a concert on the Independence Square, fireworks, lots of strolling around."
V voskresen'e Den' Pobedy. A u nas eshche est' veterany povstancheskoy armii, kotorye vo vremya voyny voevali i protiv sovetskoy armii, i protiv Gitlera. Tak mezhdu nimi takaya 'voyna' razrazilas', uzhas. Povstantsy pretenduyut na vosstanovlenii spravedlivosti i priznat' ikh zashchitnikami i veteranami voyny za samostiynu Ukrainu, a te krichat, chto oni zashchitniki. Yushchenko pytalsya ikh pomerit', no, uvy. A vchera po teleku pokazyvali Sloveniyu, tak tam tozhe est' takie, kotorye shli za kommunistami, a drugie za monarkhiyu. I tozhe sporyat za vosstanovlenie zvanie veteranov. Ya posmotrela na ehtikh bozhikh oduvanchikov i dumayu, zahem im vse ehto? Ostalos' zhit'-to maksimum dva dnya, a oni eshche voyut za kakuyu-to svoyu pravdu. A mozhet ehto ikh i derzhit?"Sunday is Victory Day. We still have veterans of the insurgent army, which during the war warred both against the Soviet Army and against Hitler. Between them a "war" has broken out, it's terrible. The rebels demand restoration of justice and to be recognized as defenders of the Ukraine and veterans of the war, while the others shout that they are the defenders. Yushchenko tried to calm them down, but in vain. Yesterday on TV they showed Slovenia, there were also those who followed the Communists and those for the monarchy. And they also argue for the restoration of the title of veteran. I watched on these devine dandelions and I thought, why do they need all this? They've got a maximum of two days left to live, but still they fight for some kind of truth. Perhaps that's all that keeps them going?"
When the Kremlin is accused of the Genocide of 1932 of 10 million, they opine "Blame the Georgians! Stalin was Georgian!"
When the Kremlin wants to garnish credit for defeating their ex- ally Hitler, they conveniently credit the entire losses of the USSR to their column.
Here are the facts: Not only were actual Russian losses less than Ukraine, as a percentage they pale to the losses suffered by MOST other countries.
The Nazis did not travel through Moscow to reach Stalin's industrial heartland - the massive losses on the Eastern Front actually occurred in countries that were already bled dry by two decades of Communist Genocide.
I agree with your numbers. I know that real russian losses during WW2 lesser then ukranian. No wonder all the war mostely went through thier regions.
BUT anyway Hitler came for Ukraine. SO war went there.
"And as far as the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact is concerned, it was condemned by the Parliament of the country that signed it: the USSR. If we want to start condemning it again it should be condemned by all ex-members of the USSR, Ukraine included, and not by Russia alone."
Just when you thought you have heard every conceivable spin to make the Kremlin warm and fuzzy, along comes a new one.
Russianboorman, you are a true craftsman at your art.
Interesting.
What?
Evidence to contradict this will arise when they form their own institutions of freedom such as a cyrillic version of 'FreeRepublic'.
I am glad to see Bush bashing FDR over Yalta - that was a long time coming.
Many hammers and sickles in all the celebrations the past few days. The hammer and sickle has only one, unmistakeable meaning. There is nothing "nationalist" about it. Apologists cannot tap dance around all those hammers and sickles.
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