A recent poll conducted by the Democratic Initiatives Fund reveals that on the 75th anniversary of WWII, Ukrainians are somewhat split in their interpretation of the historical event which Russia has weaponized to serve its current expansionist policies. While 56% agree that the USSR is responsible for starting WWII along with Germany (24% don’t agree, 20% are unsure), marking a break both with the Soviet tradition and Russia’s policy of whitewashing Soviet history. However, around 52% of those polled share the Soviet interpretation of May 9, viewing it as “Victory Day” in the “Great Patriotic War,” which is how the USSR called the period of WWII after the German attack in 1941 despite the Molotov-Ribbentrop Peace Pact. So, the interpretation of WWII is in flux in Ukraine.
RFE/RL: Ukraine is a major battleground for understanding WWII
A girl lays flowers to the World War II monument in Kyiv on May 9, 2020.
