“For us, for Russia, there are no unfriendly, hostile peoples either in the West or in the East. Like most people on the planet, we want to see a future of peace, freedom, and stability,” Putin said.

He noted that the catastrophe of the Ukrainian people is a result of the manipulation by “Western elites” which “provokes conflicts, sow hatred, Russophobia, aggressive nationalism, and destroy traditional family values.”

Putin assured that the Russian military operation in Ukraine aims to protect the Donbas population and ensure the country’s security; “a real war has once again been unleashed against our homeland,” he added about NATO´s siege.

The Russian president deplored the disrespectful actions towards the memory of the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) and the intention to “erase” the heroism of the Russian people by desecrating Soviet monuments in several places worldwide.

In his speech, the president praised the courage of those soldiers who fought fascism abroad.

Russia’s Victory Day Parade involved over 8,000 troops, including 530 fighters of the military operation in Ukraine and the mechanized column led by the legendary T-34-8 victory tank.

Presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan attended the military parade.

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