On Red Square, with soldiers standing at attention and tanks rumbling past St. Basil’s Cathedral, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a message as old as the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany—and as pointed as today’s headlines.
Marking the 80th anniversary of that fateful WWII triumph, Putin took the podium at Moscow’s annual Victory Day parade and made it crystal clear: Russia isn’t backing down from its historical stance. “Russia has been and will remain an impenetrable barrier to Nazism, Russophobia, and anti-Semitism,” he said. Strong words, delivered in front of more than 11,500 troops and dozens of international delegations.
But this wasn’t just a history lesson—it was a battle cry aimed at the present.
According to Putin, the fight continues, not just against military adversaries, but against those he accuses of rewriting history, glorifying past atrocities, and demonizing the nation that once paid such a high price for peace. “We will never accept the distortion of World War II’s events,” he said, adding that attempts to “justify the executioners and slander the true victors” won’t fly under Russia’s watch.
It’s no secret who he believes is behind that distortion. Citing Russia’s current military operation against what he described as the “Kiev regime,” Putin doubled down on Moscow’s longstanding claim that modern Ukraine harbors Nazi ideology—a charge fiercely rejected by Kyiv and the West but central to Russia’s own wartime narrative.
“We are all united by feelings of joy and sorrow, pride and gratitude,” Putin told the crowd, reflecting on the colossal human cost of defeating fascism. That generation, he said, not only “saved the Fatherland,” but left behind a clear mission: preserve the truth, stay united, and defend our thousand-year history, culture, and values.
The backdrop was unmistakably global. Leaders from 29 countries stood in attendance, and foreign military units—including from China, Belarus, Egypt, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan—joined Russian troops in the march. Veterans from the US, Israel, Mongolia, and beyond watched from the stands, a living reminder of the war’s international toll—and cooperation.
Putin’s speech, steeped in patriotic fervor and moral resolve, wasn’t just about remembering the past. It was about drawing a straight line from the trenches of Stalingrad to the streets of Donetsk, from the ashes of Auschwitz to what the Kremlin sees as a modern-day ideological struggle. Whether the world agrees or not, one thing’s certain: Russia’s message hasn’t changed—and its leadership is betting the world needs reminding.
