Ukraine will commemorate Remembrance and Recognition Day and Victory Day over Nazism in World War 2 on 8 and 9 May. Ukrainian Institute of National Memory (UINM) starts an informational campaign on this occasion by publishing a new video from the "War and myth" series. The UINM's website reports that.
The Institute emphasizes that Ukraine will commemorate 8 and 9 May during the full-scale military aggression of russia that encroaches on our independence and territorial integrity as well as threatens peace in all of Europe.
"For Ukrainians fighting against the russian aggression means fighting for freedom, civility, democracy, and European values against imperial ambitions of the aggressive neighbor which doesn't neglect either war crimes or crimes against humanity. From 1939 to 1945 Nazis were the enemy and today it's russists – russian version of imperial nationalism and chauvinism. Hence, the traditional slogan of these days "We remember – we prevail!" is slightly modified on the state level this year and sounds like this: "We defeated Nazis – we'll defeat russists, too", – the statement reads.
Considering that russia systematically distorts and manipulates the moral heritage of the WW2 participants, and these actions become especially intense in the days before 9 May, the Institute of National Memory prepared and published a series of key concepts that are crucial for understanding and remembering World War 2.
Also, Verkhovna Rada adopted the resolution on the Statement of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine "On the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazism and on the inadmissibility of the russian federation's appropriation of victory over Nazism". The Institute participated in the document's preparation.
The Institute starts this year's informational campaign with a new video that debunks the myth about the Western aid under the lend-lease program being supposedly insignificant, and the Soviet Union could have won the war against Hitler's Germany without its allies' help.
"In fact, the support of the USSR under the "lend-lease" program was one of the decisive factors in the victory. The Union started receiving it as early as in the autumn of 1941. The allies' help played a crucial part in the battle of Moscow. And famous flying aces like Alexander Pokryshkin and Amet-Khan Sultan flew American aircraft. Today, the topic of lend-lease is relevant for Ukraine again but this time for repulsing russian aggression," – UINM mentioned.
Israel decided to cancel the traditional veterans' parade on 9 May.
And the Latvian Saeima declared 9 May the remembrance day for Ukrainians killed in the war against russia.