Two different celebrations on May 9 shed light on the real battle of two realities.
On the Victory Day of the Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin is not there was the same victory. All he could offer was a mixture of lies and excuses, which made up his short speech in Red Square . He clumsily tried to justify the war against Ukraine, all the destruction and deaths, including the deaths of thousands of Russian soldiers that happened because of him.
Calling the war a “just battle for Russia,” Putin recalled his country's role in World War II, grossly ignoring the fact that for more than two months of his invasion of Ukraine he had written a new story in which he was the modern face of fascist autocracy. And Russian soldiers are not liberators, but looters, rapists, executioners and occupiers, “Politico writes.
Russia's reputation has already been tarnished by the persecution of political opponents and the killing of countless civilians in Syria. Now it is actually buried under the ruins of schools, houses and hospitals in Mariupol, Kharkiv, Bucha and other Ukrainian cities and villages where the struggle against the invaders continues.
Read also: Zelensky reacted to Putin's speech: “There were no rational reasons for this war”
In turn, the presidents and prime ministers of the EU gathered in Strasbourg to celebrate Europe Day, dedicated to the creation of a European peace project after World War II. At the same time as French President Emmanuel Macron received guests at a special ceremony, Europe could be called neither whole nor peaceful. EU countries are deeply involved in the war in Ukraine, although they do not take a direct part in it. They send weapons and materials to Ukrainians who have to defend themselves. European governments are also using slow-moving economic weapons against the Russian aggressor in the form of sanctions.
But even so, it is difficult for them to remain united. Process The approval of the latest package of sanctions , which should impose an embargo on Russian oil, showed a split between them. Meanwhile, Ukraine, as well as Albania, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia and Serbia, are looking forward to the process of considering their applications for EU accession.
The “celebration” of May 9 on Red Square and in Strasbourg vividly illustrates parallel realities. In one, Putin absurdly claims to be a “peacemaker,” and in another, EU leaders are trying to pretend they are not involved in a real war. In his speech, the Russian autocrat has repeatedly condemned NATO, which includes 21 EU countries. He called the alliance an enemy of Russia, weaving a fantastic web of conspiracy theories to justify a much-needed war he had planned for years. According to him, Ukraine was allegedly a “tool” of the United States for the inevitable military attack against Russia. And it doesn't matter that depleted NATO has just given up in the 20-year war in Afghanistan. And Washington and its allies have focused entirely on China.
“Open preparations were underway for another punitive operation in the Donbas, as well as the invasion of our historic lands, including Crimea,” Putin said in a speech at the Red area.
These statements were not just baseless, they completely distort the reality in which Russia invaded both the Crimea and the Donbas in 2014.
“In Kyiv, they even announced the possible purchase of nuclear weapons,” Putin lied, justifying his “forced and timely” war against Ukraine.
But Russia did not seem strong after losing thousands of soldiers, including generals. The Kremlin has tried to minimize the deaths of its troops. However, these deaths became too obvious. So a moment of silence was declared during the parade to honor “those who died in the just battle for Russia.” But Putin can no longer claim the liberator's moral superiority in World War II. Moreover, after a failed attempt to seize Kyiv and overthrow the government of Volodymyr Zelensky, he cannot even hint at victory in Ukraine.
During his short speech, he did not say a word about the failed attempt to capture the whole of Ukraine. Instead, he focused entirely on Donbass. Although Russian troops occupied the territory not only there but also in the Kherson region. The Russian army continues to fire rockets at mostly Russian-speaking cities such as Odesa, exposing the lie that the so-called “special operation” was supposed to protect the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine.
Read also: German media on Victory Day in Russia : Putin prepares Russians for coffin
In his speech, Putin briefly mentioned other allies who won World War II, including France, Britain and the United States. However, according to the Russian autocrat, the governments of these countries allegedly forbade their veterans to participate in the celebration of Victory Day in Russia.
“We are proud of the unconquered, valiant generation of victors, that we are their descendants, and it is our duty to preserve the memory of those who defeated Nazism, who commanded us to be vigilant and to do everything possible to prevent the horror of global war from happening again.” – Putin said.
Such words were especially strange to hear from the leader, who more than anyone else since 1945, put the world on the brink of world war and whose allies and propagandists openly and constantly threaten others countries with nuclear weapons.
Macron and the EU, celebrating May 9, did not harbor deadly illusions like Putin. However, they pretended to be real, reflecting on the state of their so-called peace project. On May 9, 1950, the then French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, described the aspirations and goals of the European Union. But 72 years later, the leaders were faced with the undeniable fact that they were not creative enough to anticipate and prevent a war unleashed by Putin.
