Putin thanks Israel for denouncement of Soviet War Monuments’ toppling in Europe

YOSHKAR-OLA, July 20. /TASS/. Russia is grateful to Israel for denouncing the toppling of World War II monuments to Soviet soldiers by Eastern European countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Council for International Relations.

"As for what is happening in some Eastern European countries regarding the reflection over the results and the process of World War II and how it is viewed by, among other countries, Israel. We are grateful to those in Israel who give correct historical assessments to all these events and denounces toppling of monuments to Soviet soldiers," Putin said.

Members of Israel’s Knesset (parliament) supported by majority of votes the statement to preserve the historical memory on World War II on Wednesday. Knesset member Konstantin Razvozov was one of the issue’s initiators. In his speech, he called on the global society to unite efforts and avoid misrepresentation of history, denial of facts and impiety to the memory of World War II victims and heroes.

On June 22, Polish President Andrzej Duda endorsed the amendments to the law banning the propaganda of Communism or any other totalitarian regime of April 1, 2016, that envisage the demolition of monuments dedicated to the Red Army soldiers who freed Poland from Nazi occupation in 1944-1945. The Russian Foreign Ministry called this decision a deliberate provocation and said it would have consequences.

On June 29, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin met with Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein in Moscow. They discussed the amendment adopted by Poland’s Sejm to the law banning the propaganda of Communism that allows toppling more than 200 monuments to Soviet soldiers. The parties agreed on the adoption by the State Duma and Knesset of statements denouncing this law.