Suche
Mein Konto
Putin and Xi celebrate Russian Victory Day in Moscow
At this year's Victory Day in Moscow, Putin celebrates with friendly leaders as Ukraine and Western nations urge caution. An important moment of geopolitical tensions.
Putin and Xi celebrate Russian Victory Day in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrates on Friday Victory Day in Russia, surrounded by friendly heads of state and watches as thousands of soldiers parade on Red Square in Moscow.
Meaning of Victory Day
The annual memorial day on May 9 commemorates the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and is one of the central events in Putin's calendar. This year the 80th anniversary is celebrated.
From honor to propaganda
Traditionally, this day is dedicated to the estimated 25 to 27 million Soviet soldiers and civilians who died during the conflict. But since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the day has increasingly taken on a propaganda aspect. Putin presents the war against his much smaller neighboring country as a continuation of what the Russians call the Great Patriotic War.
Increased participation of international guests
While the anniversary celebrations have been low-key in the last three years, Russia left nothing to be desired this year. High-profile guests including Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva are expected, a significant increase compared to last year's guest list, which consisted mostly of delegations of former Soviet states, Cuba and a few other countries.
Ukraine and the ceasefire
Last month, Putin declared a three-day unilateral ceasefire around the anniversary - an announcement that was promptly rejected by Ukraine. Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, said: "The Kremlin's proposal for a three-day ceasefire is not for peace, but is intended to ensure the smooth running of the parade in Moscow. This is political manipulation."
Ukraine's reaction
Kyiv said that if Russia wants a ceasefire, it should agree to the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine has already agreed to. However, this request was repeatedly rejected by Russia despite several high-level discussions with US officials.
Attacks and counter threats
On Thursday, Kyiv reported that Russia the ceasefire has been violated hundreds of times since it came into force. Several civilians were killed and injured in guided bombings of Ukrainian cities. For this reason, Ukraine declared its indifference to the smooth conduct of Putin's parade and stressed that it “cannot be responsible for what is happening on the territory of the Russian Federation” due to the war.
Drone attacks and airspace closures
In preparation for the parade, Ukraine carried out several drone strikes on the Russian capital, forcing authorities to close all four of Moscow's airports on Wednesday. In addition, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania created logistical complications by closing their airspace to diplomatic aircraft traveling to Moscow. Several pro-Kremlin-influenced leaders have been forced to change their travels to escape the Baltic states.
Reactions to the airspace closure
The Latvian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: "There is a clear and unequivocal understanding in Latvian society that Russian propaganda and the glorification of war crimes cannot be supported or encouraged... Given this background, Latvia cannot issue diplomatic overflight permits for flights allowing participation in the May 9 event."
Redirects from state leaders
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, one of the leaders affected by the closures, criticized the move, calling it "extremely disruptive" on Wednesday. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was also forced to reschedule after the Baltic states denied him access to their airspace. According to Serbian media, he eventually flew over Baku in Azerbaijan.