Jovan Palalić: Serbia will never allow a revision of the Second World War history

In an interview to Parlamentskaya gazeta, Jovan Palalić, a member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, said that the Serbs have paid a high price for their freedom in the fight against fascism and it serves as a clear touchstone for the country; Serbia will never allow a revision of the Second World War history attempted in the West.
Exactly 80 years ago, on April 6, 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The country endured three and a half years of occupation, mass terror and prison camps before soldiers of the Red Army and the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia liberated Belgrade on October 20, 1944, laying the foundation for a free and independent republic.
According to Palalić, Western countries seek to portray the Russian and Serbian peoples, who suffered the greatest losses in the Second World War, as aggressors and instigators of the war in order to achieve their geopolitical goals of weakening Russia in Eurasia and Europe, and Serbia in the Balkans.
“It is our duty to preserve the memory of the truth and the solemn sacrifices of our peoples, so that the Eternal Flame of freedom may be passed on to the next generations who must know how great the price of life and freedom is. This is why today Serbia is so proud to take care for the monuments to the fallen Red Army soldiers. We deeply appreciate the sacrifice they made for our freedom,” the parliamentarian stressed.
At 6:30 a.m. on April 6, 1941, 150 Luftwaffe bombers, covered by fighter jets, carried out the first air strikes on Belgrade. During the two days of the bombing, more than 2,500 people were killed and hundreds of buildings and cultural monuments were destroyed.
At the beginning of the Second World War, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia declared its military neutrality, but nevertheless began reinforcing its army.
On March 25, 1941, a protocol was signed in Vienna for Yugoslavia to join the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan, which led to a coup that enthroned the 17-year-old king, Peter II.
Hitler saw it as a betrayal and ordered to prepare for war, which began on April 6.
As a result of the invasion, the king and the government of Yugoslavia left the country, which was divided into parts annexed to Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Albania and Hungary. Croatia, the Kingdom of Montenegro, and the Republic of Serbia were formed.
The invasion of Yugoslavia is believed to have forced the German military and political leadership to reschedule the start of the war with the USSR and to postpone Operation Barbarossa from May 15 to June 22, 1941.
The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia is an observer to the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly. Jovan Palalić is an active member of the Serbian National Assembly delegation to the in the CSTO PA.