MOSCOW (Sputnik) — It was exactly the Soviet Army that broke the spine of the Fascist military machine, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Saturday.
"Perhaps, a part of the western world demonstrates small insults, speaking against historic truth that it was exactly the Red Army and the Soviet, Russian people who broke spine of the Fascist military machine in two," Maduro said in an interview with RT channel.
Russian history arouses admiration, the president stressed, adding that the future admires him even more.
Several European leaders, however, declined the invitation to take part in the celebrations citing Russia's alleged involvement in Ukrainian crisis.
A recent survey conducted by ICM Research for Sputnik revealed that 24 percent of EU citizens polled were unable to say who had played a key role in changing the course of World War II. Only 13 percent of respondents said they believed the Soviet Union shaped the outcome of the war.
