Poles furious after Russian ambassador puts some blame on country for starting World War II
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE- In this April 30, 2001 file photo taken in Pieniezno, Poland, graffiti with insults like “Murderer” and “Shame” can be seen on a memorial to Soviet General Ivan Chernyakhovsky, who is considered a symbol of the imposition of communism in Poland, but a national hero in Russia. Russian Ambassador Sergey Andreev on Friday described the Soviet's 1939 invasion of Poland as an act of self-defense, not aggression. The comment prompted Poland's Foreign Ministry to declare Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015, that the ambassador "undermines historical truth" and seems to be trying to justify Stalinist crimes. (AP Photo/Wojtek Jakubowski, file) POLAND OUT (The Associated Press)
The Russian ambassador to Poland has sparked outrage for putting some of the blame for World War II on Poland, a spat that comes amid worsening ties between the Slavic nations.
The Polish Foreign Ministry said Saturday that the ambassador "undermined historical truth" and seemed to be trying to justify Stalinist crimes. Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz also strongly protested.
World War II began after Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sealed a pact in 1939 that included a secret provision to carve up Poland. Germany first invaded Poland from the West, followed by a Soviet invasion from the east 16 days later. Millions of Poles were killed in the war.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Russian Ambassador Sergey Andreev said the Soviet Union's invasion of Poland in 1939 was not an aggression.