Putin Evokes WWII Victory
By Chris Williams
President Vladimir Putin used Russia’s annual Victory Day parade on Friday to draw parallels between World War II and the current war in Ukraine, vowing that Russia would prevail just as it did over Nazi Germany. His defiant address, delivered on Red Square before thousands of troops and a tightly controlled crowd, comes amid global condemnation of his war effort and intensifying pressure for accountability.
Standing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping, Putin framed Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine as a continuation of the Soviet Union’s historic battle against fascism. He described Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine as heroes defending the motherland against “Nazism, Russophobia and anti-Semitism,” once again invoking discredited narratives to justify Moscow’s aggression.
“We are proud of their bravery and determination, of the fortitude that has always brought us only victory,” Putin said. “Russia has been and will remain an indestructible barrier.”
Moscow has repeatedly claimed its offensive in Ukraine is necessary to “de-Nazify” the country — a rationale rejected outright by Kyiv and the international community as propaganda used to whitewash aggression.
Military Spectacle Amid Global Turmoil
The Victory Day parade, commemorating the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, featured over 11,000 troops, including 1,500 who had participated in the war in Ukraine. Advanced military hardware rolled across Red Square — among them drones and tanks that have become symbols of the grinding and bloody conflict still unfolding in eastern Ukraine.
This year’s parade was visibly more militarised and politically charged than usual, serving as a platform not only to assert strength but to symbolically unite authoritarian regimes. Chinese troops marched alongside Russian forces for the first time in years. North Korean military commanders were also present, with Putin personally greeting and thanking them for their support in Russia’s “recapture” of the western Kursk region — a contested claim with little evidence.
As the crowds chanted “Russia! Russia!”, mobile internet was jammed, and snipers were stationed atop buildings. This was a show of military resolve as much as a message to both domestic audiences and foreign observers.
Security fears were heightened following recent drone attacks targeting Moscow, believed to be launched by Ukraine. No such incidents occurred during the parade, though a Ukrainian drone reportedly struck a government building in Russia’s Belgorod region earlier that morning.
Kingpins of Power: Putin and Xi Project Unity
The presence of President Xi Jinping was a powerful statement of the deepening partnership between Russia and China. Their talks the day prior focused on strategic cooperation, suggesting Beijing’s cautious alignment with Moscow amid growing confrontation with the West.
Though China continues to maintain a veneer of neutrality in the Ukraine war, its increasing proximity to Russia, symbolised through joint military pageantry, is raising alarms among Western powers.
Putin, who has now led Russia for 25 years, used the opportunity to claim continuity with Soviet victory, labelling modern Russians the “heirs of victors.” His comments attempted to overwrite the controversial history of the Soviet-Nazi pact and the invasion of Poland with a triumphant narrative of patriotism and sacrifice.
Contested Legacy and Civilian Costs
The Soviet Union lost more than 20 million people in WWII — a toll that included Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Central Asians and other ethnic groups. While Putin paid homage to these sacrifices, critics noted the irony of invoking such loss to justify new bloodshed in Ukraine.
“Putin may think he is a victor at the parade tribune, but in fact he is a criminal whose place is at the tribunal,” said Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga.
As the Kremlin celebrates “victory,” thousands of Ukrainian civilians continue to suffer. Over 10 million Ukrainians have been displaced, cities like Mariupol and Bakhmut lie in ruins, and civilian infrastructure has been obliterated by missile strikes.
Despite Putin’s temporary three-day halt to military operations for the Victory Day commemorations, Ukraine reported hundreds of ceasefire violations, underscoring the futility of the gesture.
Global Push for Accountability Intensifies
While Putin was saluting his troops in Moscow, European Union foreign ministers were gathered in Lviv, Ukraine, in a strong show of solidarity. There, they announced the creation of a special tribunal aimed at investigating and prosecuting Russian officials for crimes committed during the invasion.
“There will be no impunity, there will be accountability for the crimes committed,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
The tribunal represents the clearest step yet towards holding the Kremlin accountable for what Kyiv and many legal experts describe as a war of aggression. It also signals Western determination to pursue legal action beyond sanctions and diplomatic pressure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an address from Kyiv, confirmed that leaders from the “coalition of the willing” — countries contemplating deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine — would gather this weekend to discuss enforcing a future ceasefire and long-term peace mechanisms.
Putin’s Historical Revisionism and Domestic Control
Under Putin, Russia has reshaped its WWII narrative to suit nationalist and militarist goals. The Stalinist-era Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which carved up Eastern Europe between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, is rarely mentioned in Kremlin rhetoric. Instead, the focus is squarely on Soviet heroism and victory.
Olga Zhuravleva, a parade attendee and granddaughter of WWII veterans, echoed the Kremlin line when dismissing U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that America played the primary role in defeating the Nazis. “Complete nonsense,” she said. “I feel great pride for my country.”
Yet, beyond the fanfare and slogans, cracks are visible. Russia’s economy has suffered under sanctions, hundreds of thousands have fled to avoid conscription, and public dissent is met with swift repression. Critics are silenced, protests are banned, and media is tightly controlled.
The government’s fixation on wartime symbolism is widely seen as a tool to distract from these internal pressures and shore up support for the Ukraine war.
Ukraine Denounces Parade as “Mockery of History”
For Ukrainians, the May 9 parade has become a painful reminder of the war’s human toll. Kyiv condemned the event as a “mockery of history,” arguing that Russia is co-opting anti-Nazi memory to legitimise its own crimes.
Officials in Ukraine pointed out that those marching in Red Square are “quite likely” implicated in atrocities committed on Ukrainian soil. Mass graves, torture chambers, and the deliberate targeting of civilians have all been documented in occupied territories.
International human rights groups have also accused Russian forces of systematic violations of international humanitarian law, including unlawful detentions, forced deportations, and extrajudicial killings.
Looking Ahead: Ceasefire Talks and Military Stalemate
The war, now in its third year, has reached a complex stage. Russia still controls approximately 20% of Ukraine’s territory, but its military advances have stalled. Ukraine continues to receive Western military aid and intelligence, but fatigue and economic strain are setting in.
Zelensky’s office confirmed that ongoing negotiations among allies are focusing on an eventual ceasefire framework. Talks include the deployment of international peacekeeping forces, mechanisms for reconstruction, and the roadmap toward restoring Ukrainian sovereignty over occupied areas.
But for now, with troops still exchanging fire and civilians caught in the crosshairs, peace remains a distant hope.
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