Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that his country's military intervention in Ukraine was necessary because the West was preparing to invade Russia, adding on the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany that the Russian army and volunteers are fighting in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine "for Russia's security and future."
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that his country would not let Russia claim victory over Nazism.
Speaking during the annual military parade on the occasion of Victory Day in Moscow's Red Square commemorating the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in World War II, Putin said that the decision to intervene in Ukraine was necessary and correct, and added, "The confrontation with the neo-Nazis was inevitable."
Moscow means neo-Nazis the ruling political and military leadership in Ukraine.
violating expectations
The director of Al Jazeera's office in Moscow, Zaur Chug, said that Putin violated the expectations of many that he would announce military messages about the war in Ukraine, such as officially declaring war on Kyiv, on the grounds that Moscow describes what is happening in its neighbor as a special military operation and not a war.
A side of the huge military parade on Red Square in Moscow (Reuters)
The director of Al Jazeera's office added that Putin focused in his speech on what is happening in Ukraine and the objectives of the ongoing war there, adding that the Russian president stressed that the war decision aims to stop the campaign by the West and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to undermine Russia's security.
Putin's letter stated that NATO was raising threats on the Russian borders, and that the West "did not want to listen to Russia and had other plans", in reference to the security guarantees that Moscow requested from Western countries before launching war on Ukraine since February 24 the past.
Historic Lands
Putin described the Ukrainian Donbass as the historical territory of Russia, the area in which Russian forces focus their operations in order to defeat the Ukrainian forces, and the Russian forces are fighting alongside the separatist forces loyal to it, who have declared separatist republics from Ukraine since 2014, in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
The Russian TASS news agency quoted a Kremlin spokesman as saying that the military air celebrations on Victory Day were canceled due to weather conditions.
In a related context, the Ukrainian president said today that his country will not allow Russia to "prescribe the victory over Nazism" in 1945, in reference to Russia's organization of a huge "military victory parade" on the occasion of the anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Zelensky added in a written sermon that his country will win its war with Russia, and will not give up any part of its territory, stressing that "on the day of victory over Nazism we are fighting for a new victory, the path to it is difficult, but we have no doubt that we will win."