When facts are manipulated, when the aggressor dresses itself in the symbols of justice and when war crimes are paraded as heroism, the world must pay attention.
This May, the world marks 80 years since the defeat of Nazism and the end of World War II in Europe. It is a moment to honor the lives lost, the cities rebuilt and the principles that shaped the postwar order: peace, sovereignty and justice.
For Ukraine, the memory of WWII is more than historical, it is personal, lived and once again painfully relevant.
During WWII, Ukraine was among the most devastated territories. The frontline passed over it twice, first from west to east and then from east to west. An estimated 8 million Ukrainians were killed: 5 million civilians and 3 million soldiers. Ukrainians fought not only in the Red Army but also in the armies of the allies of the anti-Hitler coalition, as well as in resistance movements.
Today, that legacy is being distorted, and the principles forged in 1945 are under attack by Russia’s attempts to justify a new war of aggression.
Across Europe, May 8 is commemorated as a Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, a time to honor those who died and to reflect on the shared goal of peace. Ukraine upholds this tradition. Especially now, as it fights to defend not only its own freedom, but also the principles that once united the world against tyranny.
The Kremlin continues to manipulate the narrative of WWII. By commonly using the term “Great Patriotic War” it obscures the Soviet Union’s role as a co-aggressor in 1939.
It deliberately erases the first two years of the war, 1939 to 1941, when the Communist Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were military partners under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, under which they divided and together invaded Poland, and when the USSR also launched a war against Finland, annexed the Baltic states and parts of Romania – all before Hitler turned on Stalin in 1941.
By ignoring these historical facts, Moscow has built a mythology in which the Soviet Union is solely a liberator, erasing its shared responsibility for starting the bloodiest war in modern history.
This selective memory has become a tool of modern aggression. Russia seeks to claim exclusive ownership of the victory over Nazism and weaponizes it for modern propaganda. May 9, once a solemn day of remembrance, has been transformed into a display of militarism, where the Russian army, currently committing atrocities in Ukraine, marches through Red Square under the banner of “liberators.”
The symbolism is not only hollow, but also deeply cynical. The scale of Russian war crimes in Ukraine is staggering: executions of civilians, mass graves, rape, looting, detention of civilian hostages, torture and execution of prisoners of war, use of indiscriminate weapons, strikes on densely populated residential areas, energy and civilian infrastructure. These horrors recall the darkest chapters of the 20th century.
While the world commemorates the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation in reflection and mourning, Russia prepares for military parades. The Kremlin is inviting world leaders and foreign military personnel to participate in the May 9 parade in order to whitewash its war crimes and justify its aggression. To march side by side with them is to share responsibility for the blood of murdered Ukrainians, including children.
Even declaring the three-day "pause" to observe this pageantry is cynical. In reality, Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities have only intensified in recent weeks, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure. The message is clear: Moscow honors neither peace nor memory.
This dissonance should concern not only Europe, but the entire international community. Historical truth is not a regional matter, it is a global responsibility. When facts are manipulated, when the aggressor dresses itself in the symbols of justice and when war crimes are paraded as heroism, the world must pay attention.
At a time when Russian missiles and drones fall on peaceful cities, we are reminded that history is repeated when ignored. As we mark eight decades since the end of World War II in Europe, let us not forget: no country has the right to claim exclusive rights on the victory over Nazism.
The price of peace was paid by millions, the victory is shared by nations and peoples across the world, many of whom suffered under both Nazi and Soviet oppression.
Commemorating the memory of World War II is not parades, but peace, justice and truth that must prevail.
An open media space plays a vital role in allowing different perspectives to be heard and debated. That is why the openness of Indonesian media, including The Independent Observer, deserves genuine appreciation.
Freedom of expression and freedom of thought are not abstract values. They are the backbone of open societies and meaningful public debate, highly valued both Ukraine and in Indonesia. Yet too often, wordplay and information manipulation are deliberately used to create a false sense of ambiguity, discouraging the public from engaging with the substance of the issue.
A recent publication presented as a “Letter from the Russian Ambassador” follows this familiar pattern. Instead of engaging with facts, it relies on distortion and moral inversion. When cultural events and humanitarian initiatives are attacked, it is an attack on the very idea that truth and empathy should exist in the public space.
It is particularly cynical that Ambassador Tolchenov comments on the situation in Ukraine while representing the very state that launched an unprovoked war against Ukraine. It is therefore unsurprising that he repeats the same narratives long used by Russian authorities to justify the aggression. The claims that remain unsubstantiated and unsupported by evidence. As it was recently with allegation of “attack on Putin’s residence”, for which no evidence has been presented by Russia, simply because no such attack took place.
However, the purpose of this peace is not to rebut every false accusation employed by Russian officials, nor to engage in attempts to shift responsibility for the war Russia started against Ukraine. It is about facts and the mentioned publication as an example of systematic Russian informational manipulations.
Today, over 1.5 million Ukrainian children remain under Russian control, both in the temporarily occupied territories and subject to deportation. There are approximately 20,000 documented cases of unlawful deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children. Russia provides no information about them either to Ukraine or to international organizations, which makes verification and return efforts extremely difficult. Ukraine's authorities documented 165 «re-education camps» across temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, Russia, Belarus, and, most recently, North Korea, where Ukrainian children are subjected to militarization and Russification. These actions are neither “evacuation” nor “care.” Under international humanitarian law, they constitute serious international crimes.
Precisely Mr. Tolchenov mentions the involvement of the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights. What the publication omits is that arrest warrants for her and Vladimir Putin were issued the International Criminal Court exactly for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. These warrants are not political statements, but legal acts, issued based on evidence, law, and due process.
Moreover, Maria Lvova-Belova herself publicly admitted attempts to “re-educate” an illegally transferred Ukrainian child and acknowledged efforts to suppress his Ukrainian identity and self-perception after what Russia cynically labeled as an “adoption”. This was her personal statements, not an allegation made by Ukraine or its partners. The forced erasure of identity is not humanitarianism. It is a hallmark of colonial violence.
In the meantime, Ukraine and Canada launched the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, joined by 45 countries and international organizations. Numerous states around the world are additionally mediating efforts to help return children abducted by Russia and reunite them with their families. To date, 1,937 children have been returned from deportation, forced transfer, or temporary occupation.
In December 2025, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution on the Return of Ukrainian Children. Advancing a new initiative is always challenging. Not saying that protection of children in armed conflict is often viewed through the prism of other wars, which can dilute both substance and support. Only 11 countries, together with Russia, voted against the resolution. The adopted resolution was co-sponsored by 48 countries and supported by 92 Member States, demonstrating broad international solidarity. This support spans regions and continents, underscoring that respect for international law is a global position.
The mentioned publication also demonstrates how Russian propaganda persistently seeks to divide the world by a false opposition between the Global South and West. This narrative is deliberately misleading. The real divide is not between regions, but between those who uphold the UN Charter and those who violate it. Many countries in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific understand from their own histories the consequences of treating human dignity as optional. That is why the international community continues to demonstrate unity where it matters most: in defending the principles of the UN Charter, protecting vulnerable, and affirming the simple truth that aggression can never be normalized.
Truth does not disappear because it is inconvenient for someone. Responsibility does not vanish because it is denied. Crimes against children cannot be justified or hidden behind propaganda, regardless of how many opinion pieces are published or how aggressively humanitarian voices are attacked.