Russia outraged by Poland's removal of Soviet war memorial

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

World | Sat Jul 4, 2015 9:01am EDT

Russia outraged by Poland's removal of Soviet war memorial

MOSCOW/WARSAW | BY MARCIN GOETTIG AND POLINA DEVITT

Russia said on Saturday it was outraged by Poland's destruction of a Soviet war monument, warning Warsaw of the "most negative consequences" after what it said was a flagrant violation of an agreement between the two countries on protecting memorial sites.

Poland has been one of the most vocal critics of Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in 2014. Russia and Poland share a history of conflicts and the disagreement over war memorials is likely to add to tensions.

"Warsaw must finally understand that the 'war of monuments' unleashed in Poland may have the most negative consequences, for which the responsibility lies squarely with its initiators," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Authorities in the western Polish town of Nowa Sol took down the brotherhood-in-arms of Polish and Red Army soldiers memorial at the end of June, reducing it to a pile of rubble.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/04/us-russia-poland-monument-idUSKCN0PE0H220150704

[HassleCat]

1. That's wrong

OK, we're pissed off at the Russians right now, but let's not go back and revise history. In the US, let's not run around removing statues of confederate generals. Let's live in the present and focus on what's happening now.

[DetlefK]

2. Russia has no business talking for the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union was an alliance of several countries, it wasn't a a russian empire with lackeys.

Let's ask Eastern Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic States, Georgia, Kasachstan... what THEY, as former soviet nations just like Russia, think about this.