DAILY MAIL
Vladimir Putin has addressed his country’s Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square, claiming that Russia wants peace while accusing the ‘western elite’ of waging a ‘real war’ against his forces in Ukraine.
His speech, watched by hundreds of uniformed soldiers, military officials and leaders of former Soviet nations, came just hours after another barrage of cruise missiles hit several sites across the border to the west.
Today civilisation is once again at a decisive turning point. A real war has been unleashed against our Motherland,’ he said in a reference to his ongoing invasion that the Kremlin portrays as being a proxy conflict with the West.
With snipers watching the crowd closely, he welcomed soldiers fighting in Ukraine who were present at the parade, and framed his on-going illegal invasion as being akin to the Soviet fight against Nazi Germany in the Second World War, which came to an end 78 years ago – a false narrative that has nevertheless resonated at home.
‘To Russia! To our brave armed forces! To Victory!’ Putin concluded the speech. Cheers rang out across Red Square, with a gun salute and the Russian national anthem, though with a much slimmed down show of military hardware – and no aviation. Only one tank took…
Connect with us on our socials: