MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday expressed disapproval over Russia not being invited to the events commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, calling the exclusion ‘shameful.’
According to Anadolu Agency, Putin made these remarks during an interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, with an excerpt shared on his Telegram account. He remarked on the decision to exclude Russia from the anniversary events, stating it was a ‘strange, shameful thing.’ Despite acknowledging differing opinions on Russia’s policies and leadership, Putin suggested that the situation could have been handled with more tact.
Putin further argued that while inviting the Soviet soldiers who liberated the camp might not be feasible due to their age or health, their relatives could have been included in the event. The 80th anniversary commemoration, held on January 27, saw the participation of multiple world leaders, including the chancellor of Germany and the presidents of France, Poland, and Ukraine.
The Auschwitz concentration camp, established during the Nazi occupation of Poland, was liberated by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945. It was one of the largest concentration camps, where 1.1 million people were killed under the Nazi regime.
In 1947, the site was transformed into the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and later designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserving the memory of the Holocaust’s atrocities. The United Nations adopted a resolution in 2005 to commemorate January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Russia has been excluded from participating in the annual Auschwitz liberation events since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.