MOSCOW, August 30. /TASS/. The peoples of the Soviet Union and China bore the brunt of World War II and played a decisive role in the victory over Nazism and militarism, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Xinhua ahead of his visit to China.
"The peoples of the Soviet Union and China bore the brunt of the fighting and suffered the heaviest losses. It was our citizens who endured the greatest hardships in the struggle against the invaders and played a decisive role in defeating Nazism and militarism. Through those severe trials, the finest traditions of friendship and mutual assistance were forged and strengthened - traditions that today form a solid foundation for Russian-Chinese relations," Putin said.