Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said in a German newspaper interview released Thursday that the end of World War II on May 8 was "a day of liberation" for Germany.

Putin admitted German civilians suffered greatly during the war but stressed that it was not the Soviet Union' fault.

"The Soviet Union or the Red Army can't be blamed for that," Putin told popular German tabloid Bild, adding that "it wasn't the Soviet Union that started the war."

"Russia, along with allies of anti-Hitler-coalition, has liberated Germany and Europe from the rule of Nazi regime. Russian people had to pay enormous sacrifices," said Schroeder.

Putin denied the Soviet Union was to blame for Germany's post-war division. Soviet leaders had made efforts in all allied conferences "to preserve the integrity and unity of Germany, but some of our allies unfortunately took the opposite position."

This weekend, Schroeder will go to Moscow and attend ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

(Xinhua News Agency May 6, 2005)