Maria Zacharova, spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has once again attempted to reinterpret 20th-century history to fit the Kremlin’s narrative. Her comments were prompted by a post from Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, regarding the founding of NATO.
In his statement on X, Tusk reminded allies that NATO was created to defend the West against Soviet aggression and that its foundation was solidarity, not self-interest.
“I hope nothing has changed,” he added.
Zacharova responded by claiming that NATO was established against Russia—but she omitted the fact that, prior to Germany’s attack on the USSR, the Soviets had been close allies of Nazi Germany. “There was no Soviet aggression. It was Hitler’s Germany and Fascist Italy that invaded the Soviet Union,” she said.
Russian historians may now face a new challenge: prove what role NATO, established in 1949, could possibly have played in the context of Germany’s 1941 attack on the USSR. An article published on the Vechernyaya Moskva portal highlighted this narrative, titling it: “Polish Prime Minister Tusk Urges Remembering That NATO’s Goal is to Fight Russia.”
In reality, Tusk emphasised NATO’s defensive purpose, directly contradicting Zacharova’s interpretation. These events illustrate how historical facts can be framed in radically different ways—and how such interpretations continue to shape
contemporary international relations.
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