"Neo-Nazis and War" Emphasizing Connection to WWII
Victory Day Parade Scale Reduced... Smallest in 5 Years
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated the justification and legitimacy of the war in his Victory Day speech commemorating the end of World War II, describing the invasion of Ukraine as an inevitable measure in response to Western security threats. There was no declaration of all-out war on Ukraine or an expansion of the conflict to external regions such as Moldova, which some had feared. This move is interpreted as a response considering the stagnant situation on the Ukrainian front and the worsening economic difficulties due to intensified Western sanctions against Russia.
According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 9th (local time), President Putin stated in his speech at the 77th Victory Day military parade held at Moscow's Red Square, "The military operation in Ukraine was a timely and necessary response as a preemptive measure to prevent Western aggression," adding, "The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was creating security threats at Russia's borders and attempting to invade our territory. Furthermore, the West did not want to listen to Russia and had other plans."
President Putin also linked the war in Ukraine to the victory in World War II. Addressing the Russian troops participating in the event, he said, "You are fighting for your homeland and its future," emphasizing, "We are fighting neo-Nazis and will make sure they have no place to stand."
Following this, President Putin promised to provide full support to the families of Russian soldiers who died during the special military operation in Ukraine, concluding his speech by shouting the slogan, "For Russia, for victory, hurrah." This reiterated the justification for the invasion of Ukraine that he had asserted around the time of the outbreak in February, framing the war as an unavoidable conflict to counter Western security threats.
The Victory Day military parade held that day was reportedly the smallest in scale among those conducted in the past five years. According to CNN, about 11,000 troops were mobilized for this year's parade, approximately 1,000 fewer than last year and more than 3,000 fewer compared to 14,000 troops in 2020.
There was no declaration of all-out war on Ukraine or an expansion of the conflict to other regions such as Moldova, which had been raised by some in the West and Ukrainian authorities. Analysts suggest that given the repeated operational failures and high casualty numbers of Russian forces in the early stages of the war, it would have been difficult to recklessly expand the conflict.
Bloomberg quoted a senior NATO official saying, "The Putin regime has suffered heavy losses in various battles so far, so it appears to be much more cautious than at the beginning of the war," adding, "Nevertheless, Putin has not given up and likely still believes he can win."
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