Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly criticized attempts to distort the history of World War II during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, May 6.
The leaders discussed what the Kremlin described as growing efforts to “falsify” the legacy and outcome of the war.
According to a statement released by the Kremlin, both countries affirmed their commitment to preserving the historical truth of WWII. “It was noted that the two countries are determined to defend the truth about the events of World War II and counter attempts to revise its outcome and falsify history,” the statement read.
The conversation came ahead of Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany.
Putin is expected to deliver a keynote address at a large military parade in Moscow. The Kremlin emphasized that honoring the memory of WWII sacrifices remains sacred in both Russia and Israel, where May 9 is also a public holiday.
The timing of the call follows controversial remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who claimed the United States played the largest role in the Allied victory—statements that provoked a sharp reaction from Moscow.
In response, Putin and Netanyahu reaffirmed what they called the “decisive contribution” of the Red Army and the Soviet people in defeating Nazism.
Netanyahu, in the Israeli summary of the conversation, echoed the Kremlin’s stance, underscoring the Red Army’s pivotal role in the war.
World War II, referred to in Russia as the “Great Patriotic War,” inflicted massive losses on the Soviet Union, with more than 20 million Soviet citizens perishing. The war also saw the Holocaust, in which over six million Jews were systematically murdered.
Putin has long used the memory of WWII as a cornerstone of Russian national identity. Victory Day remains the country’s most important public holiday, and the Russian president often invokes the legacy of the war to frame modern conflicts—including the ongoing war in Ukraine—as part of a continued struggle against fascism.
