![]() Putin's speech contained important elements of the mythologizing of World War II, whose memory has been stretched - or distorted, as some Russian observers argue: "the cult of Victory," as caustic commentator and Kremlin critic Yulia Latynina described it. Its absence wasn't necessarily indicative of some major event, though its cancelation was announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mere minutes before the ceremonies began. Unusually, there was no "air parade" of bombers, fighter jets, and helicopters shooting across the skies above central Moscow, for many a highlight of the annual event. Russian BMD-4M infantry fighting vehicles and BTR-MDM armored personnel carriers drive on Red Square during the Victory Day parade. The annual parade pomp included the usual appearance of hundreds of soldiers, sailors, and other military personnel marching past the reviewing stand on the Kremlin's eastern walls, along with the belching roars of tanks, armored vehicles, and truck-borne intercontinental ballistic missiles. This option, however, presupposes a completely cold and cynical leader, whose rhetoric of sacrifice and victory is just one big 'bla-bla.'" "Another option is possible: with the iron curtain around Russia built by Western powers' sanctions, Putin has secured his own regime, and will be satisfied with it for years and years," Zubok said in an e-mail. He was referring to Russia's takeover of Crimea in 2014 and its seizure of control of parts of southern Ukraine since the invasion on February 24. "My first reaction is that he is in for a long haul, but expects to muddle through in the same way as after the annexation of Crimea, yet with a territorial buffer in southern Ukraine," said Vladislav Zubok, a Russian Cold War expert and professor at the London School of Economics. It also offered no transformative policy shift on the biggest foreign policy crisis of Putin's leadership. ![]() In the end, the 12-minute speech offered little or no clarity. With the Kremlin now waging the largest land war in Europe since World War II, many observers sought clues as to how Putin would frame the war in Ukraine, which is by all accounts - except for his own and a few others - is not going well for Russia. ![]() As in some, though not all, of his past speeches, he used the moment to bash the United States. Like in many of his past Victory Day speeches, Putin honored the millions of Soviet citizens who died fighting Nazi Germany. If major declarations were forthcoming, Victory Day - a sacrosanct holiday for millions in Russia and a time when Putin is at the center of global attention - would seem to be the likeliest venue. ![]() Calls Out 'Absurdity Of Russian Generals' A Tri-Service contingent of Indian Armed Forces participated in the Victory Parade at Red Square in Moscow.Putin Defends Ukraine Invasion In Victory Day Speech, As U.K. Originally scheduled to be held on May 9, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to attend the parade before the outbreak of COVID forced the parade to be pushed to June 24. Russian defence minister Sergey Shoigu has invited his Indian counterpart to the Parade. India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took part in the Victory Day parade as a representative from India. A flypast consisting of 75 aircraft lit up the skies as military contingents from various countries marched through the Red Square. Russian President Vladamir Putin addressed the parade and said that the event marked the victory of the good over the evil. The event marks the 75th year since the defeat of the German Nazis. The 75th anniversary of the Allied Forces' win over the Axis powers in World War II was marked with a spectacular Victory Day Parade at the Red Square in Moscow on Wednesday, with over 13,000 military personnel taking part in the parade.
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