“Russia will do everything to forestall world confrontation, but will not let anyone to frighten us,” he said. “Our strategical forces are successful combat readiness.”
Russia celebrated its yearly Victory Day connected Thursday, an arena that has go a pillar of President Vladimir Putin's reign.
The Russian leader utilized nan arena - which marks nan Soviet Union's triumph complete Nazi Germany successful World War II - to obstruction against nan West.
He accused Western elites of ignoring nan captious domiciled nan Soviets played successful defeating fascism successful Europe.
Professor Michael Clarke, subordinate head of Exeter University's Strategic Studies Institute, told Euronews successful 2020 nan parade does "not simply commemorate nan extremity of nan warfare but it represents Russia's conclusion complete Nazism. As nan warfare was a 'near-death experience' for nan Soviet Union."
"The parade marks nan deliverance - and truthful endurance - of Russia," he added.
Some 8.6 cardinal Soviet soldiers were mislaid during World War Two, while 19 cardinal civilian deaths were recorded.
Russia's triumph complete Nazi Germany remains 1 of nan astir important symbols of nan country's nationalist identity.
“The Victory Day unites each generations,” Putin said successful nan reside astatine nan Red Square parade.
“We are going guardant relying connected our centuries-old traditions and consciousness assured that together we will guarantee a free and unafraid early of Russia."
His reside quickly turned to Ukraine, wherever he hailed Russian troops and blasted nan West.
Issuing different reminder of Russia's atomic might, he said: “Our strategical forces are successful combat readiness.”
A pillar of Putin's rule
Putin has utilised nan symbolism of 9 May since becoming president successful 2000 to consolidate his power, according to observers.
Celebrations person progressively featured indications of Russia's subject might, pinch columns of tanks and missiles.
About 9,000 troops, including immoderate 1,000 who fought successful Ukraine, took portion successful Thursday's parade.
Putin, 71, talks often astir his family history, sharing memories of his father, who fought connected nan beforehand during World War II and was severely wounded.
Russia has introduced laws that see punishing nan “desecration” of memorials aliases challenging Kremlin versions of nan war's history successful bid to sphere nan Soviet legacy.
Putin besides evoked nan Soviet's triumph successful World War II erstwhile he sent troops into Ukraine connected February 24, 2022, describing nan "denazification" of Ukraine arsenic nan main extremity and calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a neo-Nazi.
Caims that Kyiv was tally by supporters of Nazi ideology are mostly baseless.
Many experts understand nan attraction connected Victory Day arsenic portion of Putin's rejection of Nazism arsenic cardinal to his justification of nan warfare successful Ukraine.
“It’s nan continuous self-identification pinch nan USSR arsenic nan victor of Nazism and nan deficiency of immoderate different beardown legitimacy that forced nan Kremlin to state ‘denazification’ arsenic nan extremity of nan war,” Nikolay Epplee said successful a commentary for Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre.
The Russian leadership, he said, has “locked itself up successful a worldview constricted by nan Soviet past.”
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