The West would love to forget the lessons of WWII, but we remember that the fate of humankind was decided in the colossal battles of Moscow, Leningrad, Rzhev, Stalingrad, Kursk, Kharkov, Minsk, Smolensk and Kiev, and in the heavy and bloody fighting from Murmansk to the Caucasus to the Crimea.
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Let me emphasise: Russia has never belittled the significance of the Second Front or of Allied assistance. We honour the valor of all members of the Anti-Hitlerite Coalition, the Resistance, the underground movement and guerrillas, as well as the courage displayed by the peoples of China fighting for their independence after militarist Japan's agression. We will forever remember and we will never forget our joint struggle and the inspiring traditions of alliance.