President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Heads of delegations, ladies and gentlemen, friends,
I am delighted to welcome you to this gala reception in honour of Victory Day. I am sincerely pleased to celebrate this occasion in the company of friends and reliable partners.
It is well known that the peoples of the Soviet Union made a decisive contribution to the defeat of Nazism. At the same time, we have never divided this great victory into “ours” and “theirs.” That is why we honour the contribution of all soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition, members of the resistance, partisans and underground fighters. We will always preserve the memory of our wartime alliance, of our brotherhood in arms.
People of different ages and nationalities, men and women, old and young, were guided through those trials by faith in the triumph of justice, in the right of peoples to sovereignty and identity, and, of course, by love for their Fatherland. These values remain our spiritual and moral beacon today. Our peoples are united by sincere care for our shared history, by the memory of those who fought for the freedom of their countries and of all humanity, and by the responsibility to preserve the truth about the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War so that future generations clearly understand that love for the Motherland and solidarity among peoples in the struggle for peace and equality are a powerful, all-conquering force.
It is important to firmly counter attempts to falsify the events of the Second World War and to glorify Nazis and collaborators. They bear responsibility for the unbearable suffering and deaths of millions of civilians. It is our duty to prevent any justification of the genocide of Soviet citizens and other atrocities committed by Nazi criminals. These crimes were unequivocally condemned by the verdict of the Nuremberg Tribunal and have no statute of limitations.
This year marks 85 years since Nazi Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union. This date carries both the sorrow of millions of lives lost and a reminder of the terrible consequences of blind belief in one’s own superiority, racism, xenophobia, and the denial of other peoples’ right to identity. I am convinced that the more just multipolar world order taking shape today must rest on the norms of the Charter of the United Nations in their entirety and fullness, be based on the principle of equal and indivisible security, and take into account the cultural and civilisational diversity of the peoples of the world, as well as their right to determine their own destiny and to follow the traditions and precepts of their ancestors, who bequeathed to all of us the duty to preserve and protect peace.
Allow me to propose a toast to the generation of victors, to the triumph of truth and justice, and to the friendship and prosperity of countries and peoples.
Happy holiday, dear friends! Happy Victory Day!