NEW YORK, MAY 9 – Scores of countries joined on VE Day on a message rejecting the Russian Federation’s efforts to distort history, saying that “the Rule of law should not to be replaced by the rule of force”.
On 8 May the nations across the globe commemorate the victory over Nazism. On the day of the end of the Second World War in Europe they also pay tribute to millions of heroes and victims who did not live to see Victory Day. The message was signed by the Permanent Missions of Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the EU.
The countries couple their tribute to the heroes and victims of the Second World War with a strong condemnation of Nazi totalitarian regime, along with its inhumanity, aggression, dictatorship, and repression. They also remember that for many European countries the end of the Second World War did not bring freedom but rather more oppression resulting in repressive policies, continuous violations and abuses of human rights, and more crimes against humanity inspired by totalitarian ideologies.
“The United Nations was established to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. It is alarming that today a full-fledged war of aggression and a resulting refugee and humanitarian catastrophe have come back to Europe. Since 24 February, 2022, when the Russian Federation launched a new wave of aggression against Ukraine, the realities on the ground have revived the memories of atrocities from the Second World War. The impacts of Russia’s further invasion have been dire, not only for the people of Ukraine but for people around the world. We condemn in the strongest terms possible the violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, any attacks directed against civilians as such and other protected persons and civilian objects, and demand full respect for and protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and civilian infrastructure”, said the message.
The signatories countries note “the cynical attempts to appropriate and exploit the memory of the victory over Nazism and to use it for justifying this full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We strongly reject Russia’s continued efforts to distort history for its own political purposes to promote a false narrative and disinformation on neighboring countries, including by inciting hatred by labeling others as ‘neo-fascists’ and ‘neo-Nazis’.”
We must not forget the heroism demonstrated in the struggle for the liberation of Europe. We must honor and safeguard our shared history as well as international law, including the UN Charter. We must continue upholding peace and security, defending human rights, fundamental freedoms, the rule of law as well as strongly condemning Nazism, neo-Nazism, antisemitism, anti-Roma racism, and other forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. We must not allow the rule of law to be replaced by the rule of force and we must counter any attempts to change by force the internationally recognized borders of sovereign states – a lesson drawn from the history of the Second World War. (@OnuItalia)
