Red Army

The presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Auschwitz death camp - the largest and arguably the most notorious of them all - on the 75th anniversary yesterday of its liberation by the Red Army is a good opportunity for reflection.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis paid homage to the victims of the Holocaust during a visit to the former Auschwitz death camp on Monday, as survivors and world leaders gathered in Poland to commemorate 75 years since Soviet troops liberated it.

"It's very emotional to be on this stage after all these people who liberated Belgrade and the films about the heroism of the liberators of Belgrade. 75 years have passed, and we know that this victory was won by those who sit here with us or are no longer with us. Therefore, this victory and the memory of it is of utmost importance. The memory of those who forged this victory.

Moldovan Prime Minister Maia Sandu has asked the State Chancellery to prepare a draft decree under which August 23 will be declared an annual day of commemoration for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes.

The pro-Russian President of Moldova, Igor Dodon, and supporters of the Socialist Party on Thursday led a march to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Red Army victory over Nazi Germany and the end of World War II.

"It must be an equal celebration for everybody. Victory Day is a celebration of all citizens in Moldova," Dodon said.

It is 15 years since the EU took in eight new European nations all formerly occupied by the Red Army and in effect colonies of the former Soviet imperium. Of all the enlargements of the European Community, now Union, since the first one in 1973 to take in Britain, Denmark and Ireland, the transformation of the eight central and east European states is without historical precedent.

"Anti-Russian publications of alleged conqueror or even robbery actions of the Soviet Army during the Second World War" circulated in the Bulgarian Internet and among them was a publication on the website of the Bulgarian National Bank. This is what the Russian Embassy in Bulgaria says on its Facebook page.

SmithsonianMag - On April 30, 1945, as Allied forces converged on the capital of Nazi Germany, Hitler killed himself inside his Führerbunker. Days later, his remains were captured by the Red Army and were subsequently locked behind the Iron Curtain for decades.

Klek, or squat, shops, in former basement bunkers in Bulgaria's capital are evolving with the times, transforming into modern shops, artist studios and speakeasies.

However - before he made good on this promise - Dacic responded to Andrej Plenkovic in an ongoing war of words between the two neighboring Balkan countries - to say that his lack of any further reaction would follow - unless, that is, Plenkovic "went out and said that Croatia's (WW2 military) companies had liberated Berlin, along with Red Army units."