On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to host an impressive parade in Moscow to commemorate World War II Victory Day. This event seeks to foster a sense of patriotism domestically while reinforcing Moscow’s ambitions abroad, particularly in Ukraine.
This year’s parade will see the attendance of over 20 foreign officials, including China’s Xi Jinping and Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert FICO. It’s the fourth parade since Russia escalated its military operations against Ukraine in February 2022.
Officials are promoting this year’s celebration—marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany—as the “largest” in history. Putin has even called for a “humanitarian” ceasefire with Ukraine for the occasion.
Ukraine has dismissed these proceedings as a display of “cynicism” and has cautioned that it cannot ensure the safety of international leaders attending.
The day will feature speeches from Russian officials and a grand display of military personnel and equipment parading through Red Square.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Putin has often drawn parallels between today’s Russian forces and the Soviet soldiers who fought against the Nazis.
During a dinner for the visiting leaders, Putin raised a toast to “victory.”
Russia’s military action against Ukraine began in February 2022, with ambitions of a quick victory that have instead devolved into a drawn-out and deadly conflict resulting in countless casualties.
Greetings to Xi
Security measures in Moscow have ramped up, prohibiting items like vape pens and scooters, along with animals, from the parade.
The city has also restricted mobile internet access, citing the potential for attacks emanating from Ukraine.
Putin has called for a three-day truce beginning Thursday but has accused Ukraine of repeatedly defeating Russian forces.
Kiev argues that the parade is unrelated to any victory over Nazism, asserting that those parading in Red Square are tied to atrocities against Ukrainians.
Significant attendees this year include China’s Xi Jinping and Brazil’s Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, despite warnings from European leaders regarding Fico’s presence.
Serbian President Alexander Vucic, historically aligned with Moscow, will also take part.
Prior to the parade, Xi and Putin had a lengthy discussion at the Kremlin, which lasted over three hours.
After the meeting, Putin referred to Xi as his “dear friend,” and both expressed their opposition to Western influence.
The Great Patriotic War
World War II is commemorated in Russia as the “Great Patriotic War,” beginning with Germany’s surprise invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and culminating with Germany’s surrender in 1945.
The infamously brief period between 1939 and 1941, marked by a non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany, is also included in the country’s official narrative.
The war inflicted catastrophic losses on the Soviet Union, with over 20 million military and civilian lives lost.
Throughout his time in power, Putin has leveraged this historical trauma to underscore the significance of May 9th as a national holiday, framing military actions as a battle against fascism.
Following military actions in Ukraine, authorities have imposed restrictions on criticism of the military, leading to the arrest of thousands in a sweeping crackdown.
Recent school textbooks depict Ukraine as a “ultra-nationalist state,” drawing comparisons to the Nazi regime that occupied it during the war.
In his speech announcing the invasion of Ukraine, Putin stated that the goal was a “removal” of the country.
