HAStense for months, the end of the conflict still seems far away. Russia is not seeking to end the war in Ukraine on May 9, celebrated as Victory Day, its foreign minister said as analysts believed a possible end to the conflict on that date. “Our military will not artificially adjust their actions to any date, including Victory Day,” Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Italian TV Mediaset broadcast on Sunday, referring to the date commemorating May 9, 1945. and the Nazi surrender to the Allies, including the Soviet Union.
“The pace of the operation in Ukraine depends, above all, on the need to minimize possible risks for the civilian population and the Russian military,” he added. Russia usually celebrates Victory Day with great fanfare, with a large military parade through central Moscow and a speech by President Vladimir Putin hailing the country’s leading role in defeating fascism in Europe.
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A parade that will not forget Ukraine
This year’s celebrations will take place against the backdrop of Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine, which Vladimir Putin has justified by notably claiming that the former Soviet republic must be “denazified” and making other allusions to the Second World War.
“We will solemnly celebrate May 9, as we always do. Let us remember those who fell for the liberation of Russia and other republics of the former USSR, for the liberation of Europe from the Nazi scourge,” Sergei Lavrov said. Thousands of civilians have been killed in Ukraine and millions displaced by the Russian invasion, which began on February 24. Moscow has announced the official death toll of a thousand soldiers. Ukraine claims that Russia’s losses are much higher.
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