Actually, May 9th is about the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. But Putin is also using the big military parade to justify the war against Ukraine – and a nuclear threat.
As if at the push of a button, it started to snow as the big military parade in Moscow began at exactly 10 a.m. local time. An icy wind blows across Red Square. Two days after the start of his fifth term in office, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin invoked Russia’s strength in front of around 9,000 soldiers and hundreds of visitors on the so-called Victory Day.
Officially, May 9th is a day of remembrance for the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany 79 years ago. But Putin has long been using the holiday to justify his own war of aggression against Ukraine, which has now been going on for well over two years. He also made a threat to the West.
The Russian soldiers currently fighting on the front lines in Ukraine are “heroes,” says Putin as he steps to the microphone. Among the soldiers lined up in front of him on the square is a whole block of men who are said to have already fought in Ukraine. “All of Russia stands with you!” shouts the Kremlin chief.
Only then does he devote himself in detail to the World War veterans who lost their lives fighting the fascists of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Some very old survivors took a seat in the stands around Putin.
Accusations to the West
Russian propaganda repeatedly claims that “neo-Nazis” are in power in Kiev and that its own war of aggression is therefore in reality a continuation of the fight against fascism in Europe. And so on this day of remembrance, Putin is once again making accusations towards Western states that are supporting Ukraine militarily and financially in its fight for survival.
The Kremlin chief claims right at the beginning of his speech that attempts are being made abroad to distort the memory of the Soviet victory. The 71-year-old accuses the West of “revanchism, mocking history and trying to justify today’s Nazi imitators.”
Finally, Putin, who recently ordered an exercise by Russia’s nuclear forces, also used his appearance on Red Square to make a threatening gesture: “Russia is doing everything to ensure that there is no global confrontation,” he says. “But at the same time, we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always ready for action.” D
he nuclear saber rattling is apparently an expression of Moscow’s displeasure over billions of dollars in new US aid recently approved for Kiev. Furthermore – as the Kremlin itself recently explained – it is a response to the mind games of individual Western politicians who do not want to categorically rule out the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine.
Parade is significantly smaller
In view of the recent conquests of smaller towns in eastern Ukraine, Moscow is feeling confident on this day. Nevertheless, the consequences of the war cannot be overlooked here either. With around 70 military vehicles rolling through Red Square, this year’s parade is significantly smaller than last year’s. The only real tank visitors will see is the historic T-34 used by the Red Army in the 1940s. At least the famous air show with fighter jets is taking place after it was canceled two years in a row.
In many other Russian regions, however, parades were completely canceled for security reasons. There are no public celebrations in the Bryansk and Kursk regions, which border Ukraine and are themselves repeatedly under fire. The traditional “Immortal Regiment” march, in which people carried large photos of World War II veterans through the streets after the parade, also did not take place across the country.
Few heads of state take part
However, the parade on May 9th also shows how isolated Putin is in large parts of the world due to his war. In addition to the heads of state of five former Soviet republics, only the heads of Cuba, Laos and Guinea-Bisseau traveled to Moscow. Instead, the West will visit the Ukrainian capital Kiev, where German Development Minister Svenja Schulze and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, arrived.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is using the day to counter Russian propaganda. In view of the daily bombardment of his country by Russian troops, he reiterates how important it is to leave a peaceful Europe to his descendants. Just a few hours earlier, Russia shelled the Ukrainian south, including the port city of Odessa, with 20 combat drones. What is needed, says Zelensky, is a Europe “that neither Hitler nor Putin will destroy.”
After the end of the parade in Moscow, Putin walked past one of the visitors’ stands accompanied by his foreign guests and many bodyguards. The people there stand up and cheer. “Vladimir Vladimirovich, hello!” a little girl calls enthusiastically to the Kremlin leader. The adults shout “Hurrah, hurrah!” Apparently hardly anyone here is questioning Putin’s version of the fight against fascism, which he is allegedly continuing in Ukraine, on this exceptionally cold May day.