However, NATO has ignored Russia’s arguments and started to open up Ukrainian territory militarily, the Russian president claimed.
(Photo: via REUTERS)
Moscow Russian President Vladimir Putin justified the attack on Ukraine by saying that the West was “preparing to invade our country, including Crimea”. Enemies of Russia are using terrorists to harm Russia, Putin said Monday while speaking about Nazi Germany in Moscow’s Red Square at celebrations marking the 77th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory.
Moscow has repeatedly tried to reach an agreement on an international security solution, Putin said. However, NATO ignored Russia’s arguments and began to open up Ukrainian territory militarily.
The 69-year-old stressed that victory in World War II was won jointly with the Western Allies, but at the same time lamented the prevailing “Russophobia” among the political elites there. “We know that American veterans who wanted to come to the Moscow parade were effectively banned,” Putin claimed.
In addition, the head of the Kremlin has warned of a new world war. The struggle at that time meant not only the obligation to preserve the memory of those who had defeated Nazism. The task is “to be vigilant and to do everything possible so that the horrors of a global war are not repeated,” Putin said on Monday at the country’s largest military parade.
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He spoke again of a “special operation” in neighboring Ukraine. He did not announce a general mobilization or the use of new weapon systems. In the run-up to the speech, there was speculation that Putin could announce such a move.
Help for relatives of injured and killed soldiers
Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24. Since then, a war has been raging there in which tens of thousands of people have died. Putin promised help to the families of injured and killed soldiers. “The death of every soldier and officer is painful for us,” said the Russian president. “The state will do everything it can to take care of these families.”
The Kremlin chief promised help to the relatives of fallen and wounded soldiers.
(Photo: AP)
The soldiers and volunteers who are deployed in the Donbass are fighting for their fatherland. “You are fighting for your fatherland, for its future.” The President ended his speech with a battle cry to the assembled soldiers: “For Russia! For the win! Hooray!” He specifically mentioned units fighting on the Donbass front in eastern Ukraine.
On May 8, 1945, the Second World War in Europe came to an end with the surrender of the German Wehrmacht. Russia celebrates its most important holiday on May 9th with the “Day of Victory” over Nazi Germany.
More: Read the current developments in the Ukraine war in the live blog