 "The Hitler-Stalin pact was a secret agreement between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, carved Poland into zones of control for both powers, setting the stage for the start of World War II. Images courtesy: Wikimedia Commons")
Germany reacted with disbelief after Russia defended its 1939 invasion of Poland, claiming it was a move to protect Ukrainian and Belarusian populations, not an act of aggression.
Marking the 85th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s joint invasion of Poland with Nazi Germany, Russia’s foreign ministry on Tuesday (September 17) posted a video on social media asserting that the Soviet Union acted to prevent “genocide” of Ukrainians and Belarusians in Poland’s eastern regions.
“On September 17, 1939, the Red Army launched a military operation in Poland’s eastern regions, preventing the genocide of the population of Western Belarus and Western Ukraine,” the foreign ministry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The post went on to claim that it was necessary for the Soviet Union to invade Poland to avoid allowing Nazi Germany to control the entire country, which would have left the Soviet Union in a weak strategic position. Russia’s foreign ministry argued that portraying the Soviet Union as an aggressor in the invasion was “at odds with historical truth.”
Germany’s foreign ministry responded with a one-word post: “Seriously?” It also shared a map signed by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and Nazi Germany’s Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, showing the planned division of Poland under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, accompanied by the hashtags “#MolotovRibbentropPact” and “#HitlerStalinPact.”
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a secret agreement between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, carved Poland into zones of control for both powers, setting the stage for the start of World War II, Politico reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has often promoted controversial historical narratives to defend Moscow’s past and present actions, including its invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2014. In a recent interview with American pundit Tucker Carlson, Putin controversially claimed that Poland bore responsibility for Nazi Germany’s invasion, a statement that prompted a sharp rebuke from the Polish foreign ministry.
Germany’s latest response underscores the continued tensions over historical interpretation, particularly amid Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.