Russia on Thursday commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, as tensions between Moscow and the West continue to rise over the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke during the military parade on Red Square as part of the festivities “Victory Day”. He said during his speech that Russia would do everything to avoid global conflict but would not allow anyone to threaten it.
Nuclear forces on “alert”
During this short speech delivered on Red Square before a “Victory Parade” reduced again this year to its simplest expression by the mobilization of the Russian army in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin repeated that Russian nuclear forces were still in battle order. “But, at the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic (nuclear) forces are always on alert.”indicated the master of the Kremlin. “Russia is going through a difficult time”he added, affirming that “the future of the homeland” is in the hands of his soldiers.
Russia traditionally celebrates the end of the Second World War on May 9, the capitulation of Nazi Germany having occurred at 11:01 p.m. in Berlin on May 8, 1945, already the following day in Moscow. During his swearing in for a new term on Tuesday, Vladimir Putin had already paid tribute to the soldiers of “special military operation” in Ukraine who are fighting for “Mother land”.
For the 71-year-old leader, the war in Ukraine is part of a “Holy war” against a West “arrogant”, who according to him ignores the role played by the Soviet Union during the Second World War and who has forgotten the lessons of the failed invasions of Napoleon and Adolf Hitler, proof according to him that Russia cannot be defeated on the battlefield. Tensions with Western countries have escalated in recent weeks as the Russian army has resumed a slow and costly advance in eastern Ukraine, where the United States has agreed to supply Kiev with missiles. at longer range, that the United Kingdom has validated the principle of strikes on Russian territory and that President Emmanuel Macron has not ruled out sending French soldiers to Ukraine.
No Western leader is attending this year’s “Victory Parade”to which the ambassadors of “hostile countries” – those who support Ukraine – were not invited either. Only the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bissau made the trip to Moscow.
