MOSCOW. June 5 (Interfax) - The contribution that the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other Allies of the Soviet Union made to the defeat of Nazi Germany during WWII should not be overestimated, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
"We do pay tribute to the memory of all those who fell in action on the Second Front [the Western Front] in Europe. The contribution the Allies made to the victory over the Third Reich is clear. Certainly, it should not be overestimated. The more so, the titanic efforts of the Soviet Union, without which this victory would have simply been impossible, should not be played down," Zakharova said on Wednesday.
"As historians state, the Normandy landings did not have a fundamental influence on the outcome of the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War [the Soviet Union's war against Nazi Germany in 1941-1945]. It had already been predetermined by the Red Army's victories, primarily near Stalingrad and Kursk," she said.
"The United Kingdom and then the U.S. were delaying their Second Front decision in every possible way for three years, confining themselves to tactical operations of local significance. Obviously, they were seeking to wait until Germany's military power was weakened as much as possible due to the colossal losses it was suffering in the East and so lower their own losses in the West. Again, this is the opinion of historians," Zakharova said.
"Unfortunately, there were also some political considerations at the time, when our country was sustaining colossal losses, which many prefer not to recall now. The opening of the Second Front, even though it happened quite late, should have made it easier for the Soviet Army's units to perform their combat duties. In reality, it also had to rescue its Western Allies who had suffered a defeat from the Nazis in the Ardennes. I hope our partners remember that," she said.
It was reported earlier that U.S. President Donald Trump had arrived at Portsmouth, the UK, to take part in the events on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Allied landings in Normandy. Attending the ceremonies will be the leaders of 15 countries, including UK Prime Minister Theresa May, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and others.
The main event will take place in Normandy on Thursday. France has forwarded an invitation to Russia, without specifying the level of representation. Russia has not yet announced who will represent it in the ceremonies.