Russian President Vladimir Putin told attendees at the annual Victory Day parade Tuesday that “a real war” was being waged by Western nations against Russia.
In a brief speech in Moscow’s Red Square at the event celebrating the former Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, President Putin said ‘civilization is again at a decisive turning point,” and that war has been “unleashed against our Motherland.”
Putin used the speech to equate the defeat of Nazi Germany with Russia’s 15-month-old invasion of Ukraine. He has repeatedly used the ‘de-Nazification of Ukraine” as a justification for the war. He ended his speech by cheering on the soldiers in attendance who have been fighting in Ukraine, who he said were key for the country’s future.
“For Russia, for our armed forces, for victory!” he said.
The leaders of six former Soviet republics accompanied Putin to the Victory Day parade.
Tuesday’s parade was the highlight of an annual commemorative event with celebrations normally held across Russia, including marches of the Immortal Regiment, where ordinary Russians march through the streets of various cities holding photos of relatives killed in World War II.
But at least 20 cities either canceled or scaled back Victory Day events citing unspecified “security concerns” likely tied to Moscow’s accusations that Ukraine launched a drone attack on the Kremlin last week in an attempt to assassinate Putin. Ukraine has denied the accusations.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
