During his speech on Victory Day, President Vladimir Putin serves up a narrative that “the Russian motherland is under attack”

In the speech on the Victory Day of the Second World War, President Putin presents a perception of reality where it is Russia that is under attack.

This despite the fact that the war is taking place on Ukrainian land and started with Russian forces moving into the neighbouring country.

NTB-Reuters reports on the case on Tuesday morning.

He also says that Russia wants a peaceful future, but that what is being waged is a real war against Russia.

The president continues his speech by explaining that Western elites spread hatred and Russophobia.

According to Putin, the West must also have forgotten who defeated the Nazis. He does not mention that Western countries played a not insignificant role in the war against Nazi Germany, not least by providing massive aid to the Soviet Union.

Today, on the contrary, the entire West is portrayed as more or less “Nazi” by Putin.

In Western countries, however, most people today are fairly done with the Second World War, as this war ended 78 years ago.

As for the slightly over 40 million people who live in Ukraine, Putin says that these have been taken hostage by a coup d’état and Western ambitions.

Turning point

Many observers have been waiting with some excitement for this speech. It primarily says something about wchhi themes the Russian propaganda will play on in the future.

It is an open question whether there is anyone in the Russian leadership who believes in the worldview that is being presented. In most other countries, this agitation is perceived as increasingly bizarre.

Further through the speech, Putin praises the country’s soldiers who are taking part in this alleged defensive war. It is also still called a special military operation:

We are all proud of those who take part in the special military operation, Putin says of the warring soldiers in Ukraine.

The whole country is united in our support for our heroes, we pray for you, says the president.

Putin also says that the whole world is at a turning point because of the war he believes has been unleashed against Russia.

The president ended his speech with a rallying cry for the soldiers.

For Russia. For our valiant forces. For victory, Putin said.

The parade rolled across Red Square.

The military parade on Den rode plass went off as planned, but the Victory Day celebrations were toned down in several other places.

Victory Day is one of the most important in the Russian calendar and marks the victory over Nazi Germany.

Television images show Putin shaking hands with World War II veterans. The leaders from Kazakhstan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are also present in Moscow.

Usually these parades are held in a number of places in Russia.

This year, however, the events have been cancelled or greatly reduced in many cities. It is stated that this has to do with the danger of terrorism. But it is assumed that it is also connected with the fact that large parts of Russian forces are busy fighting against Ukraine, and that there are simply no available soldiers and material to parade with. See case below.

Prigozhin: Russian forces flee

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin shares to a small extent the official Russian picture of what is going on. He says, according to NTB, that Russian forces are now fleeing the fighting in Bakhmut. At the same time, he says that his forces are still waiting for ammunition to be able to fight.

Prigozhin, who heads the notorious mercenary company, released a video at the same time as the military parade in Moscow on Victory Day. It will be perceived by many as a strong insult to President Putin.

In the video, he says that the Russian state is unable to defend the country.