Timothy Snyder: Kremlin’s Ideological Slander Surround both the Second World War and the Current Russia’s invasion to UkraineThe world should utilize correct benchmarks to maintain its memory and remember the central place of Ukraine in the battle for resources.The world should utilize correct benchmarks to maintain its memory and remember the central place of Ukraine in the battle for resources.The world should utilize correct benchmarks to maintain its memory and remember the central place of Ukraine in the battle for resources.The world should utilize correct benchmarks to maintain its memory and remember the central place of Ukraine in the battle for resources.The world should utilize correct benchmarks to maintain its memory and remember the central place of Ukraine in the battle for resources.The world should utilize correct benchmarks to maintain its memory and remember the central place of Ukraine in the battle for resources.

This was the chief message of Prof. Timothy Snyder, Chair in Modern European History, University Toronto, Professor of History at Yale University, in his video Address at the 17th Annual Kyiv Security Forum “UA: UNITE AGAIN TO DEFEAT THE GLOBAL AGGRESSOR”, organized by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Foundation “Open Ukraine”.

“Current Russian invasion into Ukraine is the very reason for us to recollect the evils of the Second World War. This is the reason to remember about Ukraine’s central position. This is the reason to recollect the battle for resources. This is the reason to recollect the history of ideological lies surrounding both invasions (Russia’s invasion to Ukraine in 2022 – ed.)”, - he said.

Professor Snyder also stressed that the reason for the Second World War in Europe was exactly the battle for Ukraine: “When Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, which was one of the major events in the Second World War, the principal military objective for the Germans was control over Ukraine”.

Professor Timothy Snyder also pointed out the substantial contribution of the Ukrainians into victory in the Second World War and emphasized the militant Kremlin’s attempts to re-write history.

“In Russia, in Kremlin there are people willing to use the Second World War not as a reason to remind people what is wrong with fascism, but as a reason to revive fascism. There are also those who consider the German invasion in 1941 the reason to excuse the invasion to Ukraine in 2022, and earlier in 2014”, - he stressed.

At the same time, Professor Snyder emphasized the unique historic opportunity presenting itself.

“Considering the fact that Ukraine was playing a central role in security of the whole region not only today or in the previous century, but across the more extended timeframes, we should consider Ukraine’s state sovereignty and Ukrainian capacity to defend themselves as yet another cornerstone within the European project. Nowadays, the European project is threatened from all sides, but it holds firm and ought to have its bright and shining future. But this future must be fully liaised with the existence of the mentioned Ukrainian cornerstone”, - Timothy Snyder mentioned.