I started watching this interview at the early hour of 6am and ended up leaving my house later than usual because of extremely important historical and current issues discussed.I almost forgot that the president of Russia was a politican due to his sincerety and honesty along with his wise clarification of points on the history of WW2 and Russia during and after. I personally think Russia is a country that is just reaching its destiny.It has being seasoned through some of the finest and most terrible trials and it is at this point that it is beginning to evolve into a visibly great nation choosing truth over lies, courage over fear,peace over hatred,wisdom over ignorance,freedom over tyranny,accountability over denial,and all the hallmarks of a nation reaching for righteousness which is sadly lacking in our societies where we think that the rule of law alone is the only guideline. Today we see western society become constrained and burdened down with legislation to solve every problem while it engulfs us in beauracricy and chokes us all in an attempt to keep order while morality and humility and honesty and all those things that God gave mankind to guide us are forgotten. I am taking this opportunity to express my gratitude to the Russian people who fought and endured the hardship during and after this terrible evil time in our human history.I thank you for helping keep our world free and clear of the nazi hoards but also sympathize with your people having to endure a totalitarian madman after this war who became drunk on power and paranoia.I do not associate the Russian people with this despot. Your country's soil is sacred with the blood of millions who gave their sacrifice for a free and strong nation. God bless you

The Russian People suffered greatly during the Second World War. The Russian People fought valiantly in defeating an enemy that would have exterminated a great people. This interview is perhaps one of the best interviews I have read in a long time, and I have found that President Medvedev’s comments were fair, thoughtful, and honest. I hope every Russian will stop and reflect for a moment and say a prayer of thanks to the men and women who fought and died during the Second World War. Though the world is still a dangerous place, and that there is still a need for countries like Russia and the United States to have a military to defend its people, let us hope and pray that we will never have another world war ever again. Let us remember those first meetings along the Elbe River when Russian and American soldiers met and embraced one another gladly, knowing that this long terrible struggle was about to end.

The President of the Russian Federation answered all the questions reasonably well even though some of the questions- such as if Russia should a new security bloc- were analytically weak. One of the central questions President Medvedev and the journalist interviewing him have failed to underscore is that the Soviet Union did not have the breathing space after the end of WWII to rebuild the shattered economy of the Soviet Union as it was facing a new enemy: the United States and Great Britain that included plan to invade the Soviet Union. Thus, the Soviet Union was forced to channel nearly all the resources it had to building new weapons to protect the people from the new enemy: capitalist world now united under U.S leadership. In fact, if the Soviet Union did not come up with new powerful weapons to defend the country, today Russia would have been subservient to the U.S dominated world order like Japan and the rest of Europe. All the nations that fought this tragic war only the Soviet Union remained the outside the control of the United States. The Soviet People had to pay for their security during the Cold War. Thus, the President of Russia has failed to stress this point. Yet, this point is extremely important. Is this the reason the President of the United States is not coming Moscow to partake in this major event?

thank you Michael!

I do not think if it was run according to capitalist values of economic accumulation and consumerism the people of Soviet Union would have been able to resist the fascist forces and defeat them in WWII despite the horrific loss of millions of human beings and destruction of cities and culture. Much of what I like about the Russia today, including great songs, films etc were created or were/are about WWII.

I could nitpick, but Medvedev's analysis of the war is very nuanced and clearly, though in a very polite way, acknowledges the moral and economic failings of Stalin and the USSR such that we have the greatness of the achievement of winning the war distilled from some otherwise contaminating qualifications. In regards to who did what, nobody both reasonable and knowledgeable can deny that the USSR did the vast majority of the work involved in defeating the Third Reich, and indeed I have heard this case made quite clearly from multiple Western sources. This isn't to say many western sources don't over emphasize the Western contribution and largely or totally ostracize Russia's, but I think as time goes on historical analysis of the subject is getting increasing objective all over the world including where I am; this is in part because time distances us from events, and it is also because the Cold War is over which reduces the desire for posturing. The contribution of the UK and US was considerable, but plausibly not essential. The best that can be said of what we achieved perhaps was the liberation of Western Europe from any type of totalitarianism whether that be fascism or stalinism. But it was the USSR that broke the back of the Third Reich. That's the European front. In the Pacific front, the US largely single-handedly dealt with the threat of Japan whereas the USSR did very little. However, the US came out of the war quite well situated. We lost only about 400,000 men, our economy boomed, and our status as the only intact first world economy gave us an enormous amount of advantage and prosperity for a time. The USSR was strong enough after the war be a formidable opponent, in part due to its conquest of Eastern Europe, but there is no denying that the amount of sacrifice the US made in the war was nothing compared the USSR's. As bad as the USSR was, particularly under Stalin, its victory saved tens of millions, if not more lives.

American, Even before the WWII ended, the U.S/UK were planning to invade the devastated Soviet Union and that plan to invade the Soviet Union and evil plan was abandoned because it was not militarily feasible. This fact is significant to why rebuilding the Soviet Union after the end of WII was not so easy. We know this reference from number of sources. In addition to aggressive plan of invasion of the Soviet Union- the U.S had threatened to unleash nuclear weapons against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union faced new enemy before it could properly recover from the devastating effects of WII. In fact, Russia faced similar devastating situation after the sudden collapse of the Soviet Union but how did the U.S and it is allies acted? In fact I understand why the communists see NATO participation of this Sacred parade of the Patriotic Victory of fascism defeat! Today Russia is a heroic nation because of Soviet decisive victory in WWII. I do not believe the current Russia could remain heroic if it embraces values of economic accumulation and consumerism. To critique President Medvedev’s interview is not nitpicking. There is certain critical problems with this interview and pointing them out is not meant to take anything away from the President’s fine answers.

Medvedev is trying to have it both ways at once, and it doesn’t work. On the one hand. He consistently uses the terminology of the Soviet Union liberating Europe. Yet at the same time he says, “It’s clear that the Soviet Union as a state was pursuing its own purposes (ie, not the ‘liberation’ of Europe).… The regime that ruled the country…was definitely totalitarian. Unfortunately, this was a regime which suppressed basic rights and freedoms not only of their own people, some of whom were sent to camps after they had won the war.…We can’t cross it off from history.” So according to Medvedev, the Soviet Union brought no liberty, but was nevertheless a liberator. Neighbouring countries that were the victims of the Soviet Union say it more honestly: the Soviet Union brought no liberty, and was therefore not as liberator. What Soviet Russians did was greatly weaken Nazi power which enabled the Western Allies to truly liberate Western Europe. The Soviets themselves liberated nobody, but merely replaced one totalitarian, anti-human regime for another. Medvedev tells of Baltic countries “making heroes of the Nazi criminals.” Please Mr Medvedev – or anyone else at all if Mr Medvedev is stumped by the question – name just one, single, solitary Nazi criminal whom Estonia has ever made a hero or has ever celebrated. Just one will do. If none can be mention – and none can, because there isn’t any – Medvedev should stop such provocative accusations. Finally, Medvedev agrees that under Soviet rule, crimes against humanity (mass deportations, killings, etc.) happened. Most of these crimes were committed by Russians, who are today citizens of the country over which he presides. What has Medvedev done to bring justice to bear on such criminals who live under his jurisdiction? What has he done to seek reconciliation with the Baltic countries for the damage theses crimes did to them? The answer? Nothing.

One comment on post of American... “ the US largely single-handedly dealt with the threat of Japan whereas the USSR did very little”. Firstly, Japan thread to whom? May be to the US or Britain (actually, to their colonies in Asia). But, not to the USSR. After the battle of Khalkhin-Gol in 1939, where Red Army defeated Japanese, it was very unlikely, that Japan would decide to battle Russia on land any time soon. Strong Japaneese navy was not big help in attacking Russia on its vast territory. Soviet government knew that and therefore, most of the Eastern divisions where moved to the Western front during summer and fall of 1941. Basically, for the USSR the war with Japan was over. Note that the US at that time, did not even enter WW2. So, I would give, practically, zero credit to the United States with helping the Soviet Union on the Eastern front. At least, in 1941 -- during one of the most critical moments of WW2 for Soviet Union.

Bogdanov, many Americans are aware of the fact that the USSR bore the largest share of the war in Europe. After all, much of it was fought on its soil. The USA was attacked in the Pacific, the fleet at Hawaii was mostly destroyed, so, the Pacific war is as big to many Americans as the war in Europe. The USA bore the brunt of the war in the Pacific, while the USSR bore the brunt of the war in Eastern Europe at least. One of the invasions in the Pacific was larger than the Normandy invasion, and it was made up of almost exclusively American soldiers. It was a WORLD WAR, not just in Europe and Russia. Although one can understand that to Russians today, WORLD WAR 2 means war in eastern Europe.

I never thought I'd be watching Russian News instead of U.S news.. But I find that there is more truth to RT news than there is in the U.S. Everything seems to be fed to us for propaganda.. By the Way...Americans like Russians...Contrary to what the media says. I believe the people there have great hearts and minds in Russia, and most Americans don't believe in the policies that our government is taking. We don't want war anymore, but they just won't listen to us.