Baltic States opposed to Russia's moves against glorification of Nazism

The Foreign Ministry of Latvia opposed Russia's draft decree on the payment of allowances to residents of the Baltic States, who fought on the side of the Soviet Army during World War II.

The department criticized the explanatory note to the document, which referred to the infringement of the rights of veterans in the Baltic. The document particularly runs: "Through the will of the political elite of the focus countries, the defenders of the homeland (veterans) were suddenly turned into "occupiers," who would often be subject to prosecution. This happens amid the glorification of former military SS units, as well as local Nazi collaborators by the authorities of Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn." 

Officials from the Foreign Ministry of Latvia claim that the above-mentioned law misleads others regarding the Baltic countries and shows "one-sided and biased evaluation of the results of the Second World War for these states." According to the Latvian authorities, Russia is trying to show influence on the public opinion about Latvia.

There are approximately 12,000 veterans living in the Baltic countries (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia).