Eu Day Light

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha commented on the 87th anniversary of the Non-Aggression Treaty between Nazi Germany and the USSR, signed on August 23, 1939 and known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

Recalling the historical background of the pact, Sybiha said, “Two totalitarian monsters, the Third Reich and the Soviet Union, shook hands and agreed through secret protocols to divide Europe. Soon afterward, they partitioned Poland and triggered World War II. Soviet and Nazi troops even held a joint parade in Brest to celebrate their ‘success’.”

Referring to the devastating consequences of the agreement, Sybiha said, “The consequences of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact for our region, Europe and the world were catastrophic: years of devastating war were followed by decades of division, persecution and subjugation for many nations.”

Criticizing the Russian leadership’s approach to history, Sybiha said, “It is shameful that for decades Putin’s regime has made every effort to justify the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, conceal inconvenient truths and rewrite history to fit Russia’s ideological myths.”

Sybiha concluded his statement by saying, “Together, we must defend historical justice and must not allow Moscow to manipulate the past. The lesson of 1939 for 2026 is clear: appeasement, instead of preserving peace, leads to an even greater war.”