Putin Says Russia Fighting NATO-Backed Force In Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day speech in Moscow to claim that Russian forces in Ukraine were fighting an “aggressive” force backed by NATO, as Russia marked the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany with a scaled-down Red Square parade.
Putin Links Ukraine War To Victory Day
Speaking at the annual Victory Day parade, Putin said Russian soldiers were carrying out what Moscow calls the “special military operation” and claimed they were facing a force armed and supported by NATO.
He also described Russia’s war aims as “just,” using the memory of the Soviet victory in World War II to rally support for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Parade Held Under Tight Security
This year’s parade was held under heightened security following recent Ukrainian long-range attacks. The event was smaller than previous years, with no military hardware displayed for the first time in nearly two decades.
Only a limited number of foreign dignitaries attended, most of them leaders from countries closely aligned with Moscow. North Korean troops also took part in the parade for the first time, according to the ceremony broadcast.
Ceasefire Announced Around Event
The parade came as Russia and Ukraine agreed to a three-day ceasefire linked to the Victory Day period. The truce followed an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump and was expected to include a prisoner exchange involving 1,000 detainees from each side.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv would observe the ceasefire and avoid disrupting the parade, stressing that returning Ukrainian prisoners was more important than targeting the symbolic event in Moscow.
War Remains Unresolved
Despite the temporary ceasefire, the broader war remains unresolved. The conflict is now in its fifth year and continues to cause heavy losses on both sides.
Putin’s speech made clear that Moscow is continuing to frame the war as a wider confrontation with the West, while Ukraine and its allies maintain that Russia is the aggressor after launching the full-scale invasion in 2022.
