Putin defends Ukraine war as ‘just’ in scaled-down Victory Day parade

Russian President Vladimir Putin used Russia’s annual Victory Day parade on Moscow’s Red Square to defend the war in Ukraine, declaring that Russian troops were fighting an “aggressive force” backed by the entire NATO alliance and insisting that Moscow’s goals remained “just”.Speaking at the scaled-down military ceremony on Saturday, Putin invoked the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany during World War II to rally support for Russian forces in Ukraine, now in the fifth year of the conflict. Victory Day has long been one of Russia’s most significant national events, but this year’s commemorations unfolded under heavy security amid fears of Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russian territory.“The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today,” Putin said. “They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc.” He later added: “I firmly believe that our cause is just.”For the first time in nearly two decades, the Red Square parade took place without the traditional display of tanks, missiles and heavy military hardware. Russian authorities said the decision was linked to the “current operational situation” following a series of Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities, military depots and infrastructure.The event still featured marching troops and a flypast by fighter jets, while North Korean soldiers also participated in the parade for the first time after Pyongyang reportedly sent troops to assist Russian operations in the Kursk region.Security measures across Moscow were tightened significantly. Mobile internet and messaging services faced restrictions, while large parts of the capital appeared unusually quiet ahead of the celebrations.The parade came after Russia and Ukraine agreed to observe a three-day ceasefire from May 9 to 11 following pressure from US President Donald Trump. Both Moscow and Kyiv confirmed the temporary truce, which is also expected to allow a major prisoner exchange involving 1,000 detainees from each side.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv would avoid targeting the parade in order to secure the return of prisoners. “Red Square is less important to us than the lives of Ukrainian prisoners who can be returned home,” he said.Despite the ceasefire announcement, tensions remained high. Russia had earlier warned of a “massive” strike on central Kyiv if Ukraine attempted to disrupt the Victory Day events.Only a limited number of foreign leaders attended this year’s parade, including officials from Belarus, Laos and Malaysia, along with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.