German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has asked the Russian people to forgive the suffering Germany inflicted on them and others during World War II
The German leader said no other country was required to pay as high a cost in the victory against Hitler's Germany as the former Soviet Union. His comments came in an article in Sunday's edition of the Russian newspaper .
He noted the loss of more than 27 million lives and called the indescribable destruction in the former Soviet Union "frightening results of World War II".
Mr. Schroeder said the reconciliation between between Germany and its eastern neighbors, despite the horrors of world war and the later Cold War, is one of the miracles of European history.
The article appeared on the eve of ceremonies in Moscow marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
Some information for this report provided by AFP.
