Bashar al-Assad: For us, those veterans who fought in that ferocious war - and the Soviet Union made great sacrifices, for it offered over 26 million martyrs, and as far as we know the number was closer to 30 million - were the main force; and today they offer a role model for the present generation and for future generations. They provide a role model of resilience and standing fast. Who could expect the siege of Stalingrad at that time to end the way it did without the steadfastness of those heroes? Who could expect that the initial retreat of the Soviet army would turn into a victory later? Without the victory of the Soviet Union, the Normandy landings for Western states wouldn't have been possible. This is what many in the West are trying to obscure, i.e. the more important role played by the peoples of the Soviet Union at that time - including your people - in defeating Nazism. Today, these veterans play a vital role in strengthening the spirit of steadfastness, because you too are facing something similar to what Syria has been facing for decades. wordsmith.social/protestation/…