Putin celebrates the Soviet sacrifice he saved in World War II

Russian President Vladimir Putin commemorated on Wednesday the Soviet sacrifice, and the debt the world still owes to the USSR 75 years after the Nazi defeat, kicking off a military parade full of patriotism.

Just days after the constitutional referendum, which would allow him to remain in power until 2036, Putin presided over the 14,000-man parade on Moscow’s Red Square, which was due to take place on May 9 but was postponed due to the epidemic of new coronavirus. .

“It is hard even to imagine what the world would have been like if the Red Army had not come out to defend it,” Putin proclaimed.

The Soviet soldiers “liberated the countries of Europe from the invaders, put an end to the tragedy of the Holocaust, and saved the people of Germany from Nazism, that deadly ideology,” said the Russian president before his troops in ceremonial uniforms, and without a mask. despite the epidemic.

In this patriotic but conciliatory speech, the Russian head of state avoided his accusations against western countries, which he accuses of wanting to minimize, for political purposes, the Soviet role in the defeat of Nazism.

In his only reference to the contemporary world, he asked for unity from the international community to face the current challenges.

“We understand that it is important to strengthen friendship, trust between peoples as well as open dialogue and cooperation on current issues that are on the international agenda,” he said.

Victory Day, in which assault tanks, missiles, anti-aircraft systems and aviation parade, is the occasion to celebrate the end of World War II and to illustrate the return of Russian political and military power at the international level, from the annexation of Crimea until the war in Syria.

alf / pop / cac / bc / zm