Russian President Vladimir Putin, at Moscow's annual Victory Day speech, targeted the collective West and said the “real war is being waged against our Motherland.”
What Happened: In his 10-minute speech on Tuesday, the Russian leader expressed his desire for a peaceful future, while he accused "Western elites" of spreading "hatred and Russophobia" and claimed that Ukrainians were being held “hostages to a state coup” and the ambitions of the West.”
“Today, civilization is again at a decisive turning point. A real war has been unleashed against our homeland. We have repulsed international terrorism, we will protect the inhabitants of Donbas, we will ensure our security,” Putin said, according to the Kremlin.
The Russian leader’s speech on Red Square echoed his familiar messages, which he has delivered many times during the almost 15 months of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
"The Western globalist elites still talk about their exclusivity, pit people and split societies, provoke bloody conflicts and upheavals, sow hatred, Russophobia, aggressive nationalism, and destroy family, traditional values that make a person a person," he said.
Why It Matters: Putin’s annual speech, which marks the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in 1945, was overshadowed by military setbacks in Ukraine.
As per U.S. estimates, the Kremlin’s forces have suffered more than 100,000 killed or wounded since December alone.
The Wagner Group chief also slammed Moscow for starving his mercenaries after Moscow had not delivered the promised ammunition. Russia fired cruise missiles that exploded in the air over Kyiv as Putin presided over the annual event.
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