Putin arrives in Poland for anniversary of WWII outbreak

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has arrived in Poland to attend ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, and to meet with his Polish and Ukrainian counterparts.

Leaders from about 20 countries are expected in Poland`s Baltic city of Gdansk later in the day for the memorial events. Early in the morning, Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk led a ceremony marking the exact time of a German battleship attack near Gdansk on September 1, 1939.

Russian government official Yury Ushakov said the goals of Putin`s visit would be to "counter in an international context attempts to revise the history of the Second World War, and also to provide an impulse to Russian-Polish relations... We and Poland are both willing to do this."

Russia has recently condemned the official view of several countries, in particular the Baltic States, that Stalin shared equal responsibility with Hitler for the outbreak of WWII hostilities.

Ushakov said the controversial issue of U.S. plans for a missile shield in Central Europe would also figure in Putin`s discussions with Tusk.

Among his other meetings with heads of government, Putin will hold talks with Ukrainian premier Yulia Tymoshenko focusing on Russia`s natural gas supplies to and via Ukraine, and on possible Russian loans to Kiev to ensure stable gas payments.

sections: World News