09 May: No major announcement in Putin's Victory Day speech
UKRAINE WAR TRUTH 68: No major announcement in Putin's Victory Day speech
Russia 3: Russia celebrated victory over Nazism in World War II on Victory Day – March 9. Western analysts had expected a major policy announcement during Russian president Vladimir Putin's speech, but there was none. Putin didn't launch a full mobilization, didn't officially declare war on Ukraine, and didn't threaten to use nuclear weapons. He also didn't prepare the stage for a further escalation of the war. In short, he kept everybody guessing. He did tell Russian soldiers that “they were fighting for the same thing their fathers and grandfathers did”. He invoked the Soviet victory in World War II to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is ridiculous. To claim that the invasion of Ukraine by a Russia ruled by a new Tsar and a bunch of oligarchs is the continuation of the Red Army's epic fight against Nazi invaders is ludicrous. It shows that Putin has a seriously distorted view of history. To claim that the Russian army is killing Nazis in Ukraine is also bogus. The Russians are incapable of targeting the fascist militia that exist in Ukraine. Instead they are mainly killing civilians and destroying homes and infrastructure.
Putin claimed that the Russian army was fighting in Ukraine “so that there is no place in the world for butchers, murderers and Nazis”. However, the whole world can see that the Russians are acting like butchers and murderers in Ukraine. Putin wished the people of Ukraine “good health, success and a long life”, while at the same time air raid sirens wailed across Ukraine, warning the people of incoming bombs and missiles.
On the occasion of Victory Day, Ukrainian president Zelenskiy said the Russians who invaded Ukraine today were the heirs of the Nazis. This is also a distorted view of the past and the present. Russia is trying to reestablish a sphere of influence in Eastern Europe but is not capable of establishing a Third Reich even if Putin is perhaps dreaming about it. If Zelenskiy wants to show his anti-Nazi sentiments, he should clean the Ukrainian resistance from the cancer of fascist elements growing within and undermining it.
Zelenskiy also reiterated that Ukraine would not cede any territory to Russia. This is part of the concept that aggressors should not be rewarded. But it also means that any peace negotiations would almost certainly fail. Those who want the war to end quickly should be able to make compromises and the only concession Ukraine can make is to cede some territory which is already under the control of Russia, such as Crimea and the Donbas. But Zelenskiy will probably refuse to do this. He believes the resistance is strong and the support of his Western allies will enable him to expel the Russians from Ukrainian territory. He very well might be able to do that, but this would mean that the war would drag on for a considerable period of time and more civilians and soldiers would die. A drawn-out war is only in the interests of U.S. imperialism and the military-industrial complex.
As Putin basically said nothing new in his Victory Day speech, the world keeps guessing what will come next.