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Belarus and Russia at OSCE: Defeated Nazism must not rise again

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MINSK, 22 June (BelTA) - The delegations of the Permanent Missions of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation to the OSCE issued a joint statement on 22 June on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War, BelTA learned from the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“On 22 June 1941, Hitler’s troops treacherously attacked the Soviet Union. The Great Patriotic War began. We reject the blasphemous and anti‑scientific thesis promoted by some OSCE participating states of ‘equal responsibility’ of the USSR and Nazi Germany for starting the war. The expansionist aspirations of the followers of the ideology of Nazism and misanthropy, which led to the greatest tragedy in history, cannot be justified,” the document reads.

“We will forever preserve the memory of the 27 million Soviet citizens who perished during the Great Patriotic War. The expulsion and extermination of civilians by the Nazis and their accomplices, as documented, among other sources, in the verdict of the Nuremberg Tribunal, must be regarded as genocide of the peoples of the Soviet Union. We will not allow the feat of the Red Army to be forgotten - the army that made a decisive contribution to the defeat of the Nazi Third Reich and the liberation of European states from the horrors of fascism and National Socialism, giving peoples and countries a chance for freedom and prosperity,” the statement emphasizes.

The Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation resolutely condemn all forms of glorification of the Nazi movement, the whitewashing of former members of the Waffen‑SS and their accomplices, and any connivance in manifestations of neo‑Nazism. Both countries oppose the “war” waged by some OSCE participating states against memorials to liberator soldiers and mass graves.

Manipulation of historical memory and courting of supporters of Nazi ideology for selfish interests and political expediency threatens to repeat a tragedy equal to the Second World War.

“It is our common duty to preserve historical memory, not to repeat the mistakes of the past, and to do everything possible to counter manifestations of racism, xenophobia, and neo‑Nazism. In this context, we emphasize the importance of UN General Assembly Resolution 80/152 of 15 December 2025 on Combating glorification of Nazism, neo‑Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Defeated Nazism must not raise its head again,” the statement reads.

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