Kremlin Says Noticed Centenary Of WWI's End In Paris Included No Letters By Russian Troops

The Kremlin has noticed that no letters written by Russian WWI soldiers were read out during the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War in Paris on Sunday but respects the event organizer's decision, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th November, 2018) The Kremlin has noticed that no letters written by Russian WWI soldiers were read out during the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War in Paris on Sunday but respects the event organizer's decision, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

During the ceremony, which followed Armistice Day celebrations at the Arc de Triumph, eight French graduates read testimonies of people who witnessed the truce, including letters written by French, UK, US and German soldiers, as well as by a Chinese worker and a French girl.

"We definitely noticed this. Indeed, perhaps, the story of World War I in the context of the fate of our country is very complex and is full of contradictions. But, if we're talking about in what languages the memories should be read, this was likely a decision by the organizers, and we treat this decision with respect," Peskov said when asked to comment on the absence of letters by Russian soldiers.

He also expressed confidence that many people in France remember the heroic deeds which Russian soldiers made protecting France, since some 20,000 troops from the Russian Expeditionary Force fought in the country.

Over 60 heads of state and government gathered in Paris on Sunday for a military parade and peace forum organized by French President Emmanuel Macron. Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others, laid flowers at the monument commemorating the Russian Expeditionary Force in France. The monument was opened by Putin in 2011. It is located in the historic center of Paris.