As Russian President Vladimir Putin gave his annual speech on the 1941-1945 war in Red Square, this year almost entirely devoted to the conflict in Ukraine, his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky broadcast a video of himself walking alone on Khrechtchatyk Avenue in kyiv, where national ceremonies usually take place in his country.
While the battle of memories is raging – Moscow and kyiv frequently refer to the Second World War when they evoke the military offensive that Russia has been leading against Ukraine since February 24 – President Zelensky has a new once inscribed in the line of Ukrainian fighters who fought against Nazism within the Red Army; he thus never mentions the pro-Nazi Independent State of Ukraine created in Lviv in 1941, and he pays homage, in all his speeches, to the heavy price paid by the “eight million Ukrainians” killed during the war, victims of the killings perpetrated by the German army or as soldiers of the USSR.
“We are proud of our ancestors who, together with the other nations of the anti-Hitler coalition, defeated Nazism. And we won’t let anyone take this victory away.”, said Volodymyr Zelensky. Referring to the current conflict and the argument brandished by Moscow of a “denazification” of Ukraine, he continued: “Our enemy dreamed of seeing us give up celebrating May 9 and the victory over the Nazis so that the word denazification would get a chance. » However, he recalled, “millions of Ukrainians fought Nazism”.
The Ukrainian president spoke of the cities of his country where Ukrainian battalions of the Red Army valiantly fought against the German army. “The Nazis were expelled from Luhansk, from Donetsk, from Kherson… They were expelled from Yalta, from the whole Crimea… Mariupol was liberated… The Nazis were expelled from all of Ukraine. » The choice of words hurts, these localities being currently occupied by the Russian assailant. “The cities I have named inspire us, and give us faith that we will drive the occupiers out of our land. »
“A war between two visions of the world”
Mr. Zelensky went on to draw a parallel between the two conflicts to explain that “On Victory Day over the Nazis, we are fighting for another victory. The road to this victory is long but we have no doubts about our victory. And very soon Ukraine will celebrate two “Victory Days”. We conquered then, we will conquer now. And [l’avenue] Khrechtchatyk will see the victory parade. »
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