MOSCOW, Saturday, May 9, 2026 (WNP): President of Vladimir Putin on Saturday said the peoples of the former Soviet Union made a decisive contribution to the defeat of Nazism and stressed that the memory of wartime alliance and brotherhood in arms would always be preserved.

Speaking at a solemn reception held on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Putin welcomed foreign delegations, friends and partner countries attending the celebrations in Moscow.

“It is well known that the peoples of the USSR made a decisive contribution to the defeat of Nazism,” Putin said. “The memory of wartime alliance, of brotherhood in arms, we will cherish forever,” he added.

The Russian president said Russia had never divided the victory over Nazism into “ours and others” and paid tribute to all soldiers of the anti-Hitler coalition, resistance fighters, partisans and underground movements who contributed to the victory in the Second World War.

He said people of different ages, nationalities and backgrounds were united during the war by faith in justice, sovereignty and love for their homeland, adding that these values continued to serve as moral and spiritual guidelines.

Putin also stressed the importance of preserving historical truth about the Great Patriotic War and the Second World War and condemned attempts to falsify historical events or glorify Nazis and collaborators.

He said Nazi crimes, including genocide and atrocities against civilians, had been unequivocally condemned by the Nuremberg Tribunal and had no statute of limitations.

Referring to the 85th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, Putin warned against racism, xenophobia and claims of superiority over other nations.

He further said the emerging multipolar world order should be based on the principles of the United Nations Charter, equal and indivisible security and respect for cultural and civilizational diversity.

Putin concluded the reception with a toast to the generation of victors, truth, justice, friendship and prosperity among nations.