Russian soldiers are facing “an aggressive force” armed and supported by the entire NATO, said President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
Speaking at a speech during the Victory Day parade on Red Square marking the anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II, Putin stated that the “generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out today’s special military operation tasks.”
He claimed that Russian scientists and engineers are developing advanced weapons and expanding mass production, “drawing on the experience of modern combat.”
Referring to World War II, Putin emphasized that the Soviet people made a decisive contribution to the defeat of Nazism, saving their country and the entire world.
The parade was attended by several foreign leaders, including Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith, and the King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar.
Personnel involved in Russia’s “special military operation,” cadets from higher military education institutions, and members of various branches of the Russian armed forces participated in the parade, along with soldiers from the North Korean army.
Before the commemorations, the Russian Defense Ministry had announced a two-day ceasefire proposal for the Victory Day celebrations on May 8 and 9, warning Ukraine of a “massive” missile response if the celebrations were disrupted.
Later in the day, Ukraine announced that it would also observe a unilateral ceasefire starting from midnight on Tuesday.
However, both parties later accused each other of violating the separately announced ceasefires by Russia and Ukraine.
On Friday, American President Donald Trump declared on his Truth Social social media platform that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire and an exchange of 1,000 prisoners each, praising the agreement reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Let’s hope this is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and fiercely fought war. Talks are ongoing to end this major conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer every day,” Trump added.
*Translated from English by Mariem Njeh
