Russia’s victory will be like World War II, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a speech on Sunday at the annual celebration of the victory over Nazi Germany. He was referring to the conflict in Ukraine.
“Today, like their ancestors, our soldiers are fighting shoulder to shoulder to liberate their homeland from the Nazis. It is done with confidence that, as in 1945, the victory will be ours,” Putin said. Since the start of the war, Russia has claimed that it invaded Ukraine on February 24 to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the country.
“It is our common duty to prevent the resurgence of Nazism, which has caused so much suffering among the inhabitants of different countries,” said the Russian president. He said he hoped “the new generations will be worthy of the memory of their fathers and grandfathers”.
Every year on May 8, many European countries commemorate the official surrender of Nazi Germany on that day in 1945. The commemoration of the victory over Nazi Germany will not officially take place until Monday in Russia because the surrender there was after midnight due to the time difference. Victory is celebrated with a military parade on Red Square in Moscow.