The West is waging an aggressive campaign to distort the history of World War II and Russia must counter the attempts, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday.
"There is nothing new. We have faced double standards when it comes to history many times," Putin told St. Petersburg's legislative body, adding that this time, these double standards have taken on the form of an actual aggressive campaign.
He said the "most sacred things" have been distorted to serve political ends on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.
Saying that Western leaders have been trying to depict "liberators" as "occupants," he called on Russians to actively counter "any falsification of history."
The president has on various occasions slammed attempts to rewrite WWII history. In an earlier meeting of the organizing committee for the 70th anniversary celebration of the victory of the Anti-Fascist War, Putin blasted those attempts as a "cynical and vulgar lie about the entire generation which has preserved peace on Earth."
Russia will hold a grand celebration to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Great Patriotic War, Russia's term for WWII, on May 9 in Moscow.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, leaders of 26 countries have confirmed their participation in the event, with 10 countries having agreed to send their own military units to take part in the parade at the Red Square.
