Uni Soviet menandatangani sebuah pakta non-agresi dengan Jerman Nazi pada 23 Agustus 1939. Selain stipulasi non-agresi, traktat tersebut meliputi protokol rahasia yang membagi teritorial-teritorial Rumania, Polandia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraina, dan Finlandia ke dalam "lingkup pengaruh" Soviet dan Jerman, mengantisipasi "rearansemen teritorial dan politik" potensial dari negara-negara tersebut.[1]Joseph Stalin dan Adolf Hitler kemudian mendagangkan proporsal-proporsal setelah masuknya Soviet ke Pakta Blok Poros.
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