What did President Putin say at the Victory Day celebration?

In his speech, President Putin Alleged that late last year the West was openly preparing attacks in the Donbass and Crimea, and calls in Kyiv for nuclear weapons posed an “unacceptable threat right at our borders”.

The leader accused the US and “their minions” of a threat and “the danger is increasing day by day”. He said Russia “has called on Europe to make reasonable concessions, but they don’t want to listen to us”.

“In Kyiv, they said they could get nuclear weapons and NATO started scouting the lands near us. That became a clear threat to our country and our borders.” , said Mr. Putin. “Everything tells us we need to fight.”

President Putin appeared on the parade stage. reuters

Putin’s speech was longer than expected, but did not have the statements that the West had expected. For 11 minutes, he evokes memories of Soviet heroism during World War II, and gives no assessment of the current military situation in Ukraine nor gives an indication of when “the operation would be lost.” ” Russia’s may end.

At the beginning of his speech, he congratulated the Russian army on its victory in World War 2 77 years ago, and then related the situation Ukraine now.

“Now the situation is the same. You are fighting for our people in the Donbass, for the security of the motherland. Victory day is near in each of us. There is no family in Russia that does not exist. burned by the great patriotic war. We are proud of the generation of winners,” he said.

President Putin speaks afp

Putin said Russia honors respected comrades from the Allied armies, including Britain, France and the United States, who fought with the Soviet Union in the War. World Monday.

“No one must forget the lessons of World War II so that the villains and fascists have no place in the world,” the Russian president said. Interspersed with the speech was a minute of silence.

According to Putin, Russian forces fighting in the region Donbass of Ukraine is fighting for the “fatherland”. Loss to force military Russia’s is “tragedy for all of us” but “an irreparable loss to their families”, he said.

Putin wished the wounded soldiers and officers a speedy recovery and said today he had signed an executive order to provide “important support” to the “children of fallen comrades”.

While the latest Russian Defense Ministry report on casualties said 1,351 servicemen died, according to local media, at least 2,099 people are dead or missing.