The defeat of Nazism was achieved at a great cost. Some 600,000Red Army soldiers fell in struggles in Poland and of the 50 million dead in WWII over half were Soviet citizens, Putin noted.
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) carries a candle before laying it during an official ceremony at the Cemetery of Defenders of Westerplatte outside of Gdansk September 1, 2009. European leaders gathered on Poland's Baltic coast to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War Two. [Agencies]
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Discussing the causes of WWII, the Russian prime minister said it had its roots in flaws of the Treaty of Versailles. Between 1934 and 1939 attempts were made to "calm" the Nazis who took overpower in Germany. This was done through agreements and pacts that were morally unacceptable and politically "dangerous and wrong."
"The combination of those actions led to the tragic outbreak of WWII and we must admit that such mistakes were indeed made. My country, its parliament condemned the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact. We have the right to expect that other countries will also condemn agreements concluded with the Nazi regime," Putin said.
Russia not only "admits to mistakes and errors of the past" but also "makes a practical contribution to building a new world based on new principles," Putin claimed.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said in her address that Europe did not need any more divisions, hatred and lawlessness. "Instead, we need compassion, generosity and understanding for suffering."
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European leaders lay candles at the Cemetery of Defenders of Westerplatte outside of Gdansk September 1, 2009. European leaders gathered on Poland's Baltic coast to mark the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War Two. [Agencies]
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During the Nazi occupation in WWII, Poland lost some 6 million citizens and more than half of its national wealth in destroyed factories, burned-down museums, libraries and villages.
The country was also used as a base for the occupying Nazis' genocide machinery, home to Auschwitz, Majdanek, Sobibor and other death camps built for the annihilation of Jews in Europe.
After nearly six years, the war in Europe ended on May 8, 1945, with Germany's unconditional surrender.
(Xinhua News Agency September 2, 2009)
