Putin says moves to exonerate war criminals ‘outrageously flout’ Nuremburg, Tokyo tribunals
Putin, who will take part in Thursday’s events in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of China’s victory in the war against Japan, stresses his nation’s strong ties with Beijing
Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticised attempts in Europe and Asia to promote “distorted interpretations” of the history of the second world war.
He said moves by some countries to “exonerate war criminals” were “an outrageous flouting” of the postwar Nuremburg and Tokyo tribunals to prosecute them.
Putin – speaking to Russia’s Tass and China’s Xinhua news agencies before taking part in Thursday’s events in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of China’s victory in the war against Japan – stressed his nation’s strong ties with Beijing.
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He expressed views largely in tune with those of China, which has been stepping up its rhetoric against Japan on history issues.
“We witness the attempts to falsify the history of World War Two, to promote loose and distorted interpretations of the events that are not based on facts, particularly events of the prewar and postwar periods,” Putin said in a transcript of the interview, published online on Tuesday by the Russian presidential office.
“Efforts by certain countries to glorify and exonerate war criminals and their henchmen are an outrageous flouting of the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials,” he said. “This is an outright insult to the memory of millions who fell in the war.”