Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday (March 17) presided over an official planning meeting for Victory Day celebrations to commemorate the end of World War Two inMoscow.
It was the second time the Russian president made a public appearance, after 10 unexplained days out of public view, which lead to speculation over his health.
The 62-year-old leader criticised what he called attempts to ‘distort’ historical events, aimed at undermining the “power and moral authority of modern Russia.”
“Today, unfortunately, we see not only attempts to misrepresent, to distort the events of the war, but also cynical, undisguised lies, blatant slander against an entire generation of people who lost almost everything for this victory – who defended peace on earth,” he said at a meeting with Russian ministers in the capital Moscow.
“Their goal is clear: to undermine the power and moral authority of modern Russia, to deprive her of her status as a victorious country – with all the ensuing international and legal consequences – to split and pit the public against each other, to use historic speculation for geopolitical games. Sometimes it sounds like obvious nonsense,” he added.
The Soviet Union lost more than 20 million people in World War Two.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will attend the May 9 celebrations, adding the heads of 26 countries have confirmed their attendance.
Reuters/AGENCY POOL
