Ukraine to renounce all commemoration of victory over Nazi Germany on May 9, to break away from Russia
Ukraine will forego any commemoration of the victory over Nazi Germany on May 9 in accordance with Soviet and Russian tradition, and will henceforth celebrate the day on May 8 with “the free world”President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday.
The commemorations of May 8, “It’s the story of our people, of our allies, of the free world. Today we give it back to our people”Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on the occasion of the celebration of the end of the Second World War, fifteen months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the worst military conflict in Europe since 1945.
He said he was submitting a bill to Parliament on Monday declaring May 8 as “Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II”. Mr. Zelensky also added that he had signed a decree on the establishment of a “Europe Day” May 9.
Western countries mark the anniversary of the German surrender on May 8, but Moscow has always kept the date of the 9th due to a difference in time zones. “Each year, starting tomorrow, May 9, we will celebrate our historic unity, the unity of all Europeans who destroyed Nazism and who will defeat [la Russie] »continued the Ukrainian head of state. “Today, like eighty years ago, Ukraine is fighting against total evil”he added. “Today, like eighty years ago, we rely on the joint strength of free peoples and we know that we will always be part of a free Europe that will never submit to evil. »
This speech takes place on the occasion of the world celebrations of May 8 and on the eve of a large military parade in Moscow supposed to exalt the Russian patriotic feeling, in which Vladimir Putin will participate. Since 2015the Ukrainian commemorations took place not only on May 9, but also on the 8th, baptized “Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation”as a sign of rapprochement with the European tradition.
In a Facebook post, the Ukrainian parliament recalls that Kyiv began to break away from Soviet-style celebrations some fifteen years ago, when the term “Great Patriotic War”still in force in Moscow, had given way to that of ” second World War “ in official speeches. This trend has been reinforced with the “de-Sovietization” set up by kyiv after the annexation by Moscow, in 2014, of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea (South), followed by a war in the East against pro-Russian separatists.