Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of the soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

During his annual speech to mark Victory Day in Moscow, Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of the soldiers fighting in Ukraine, stating that Russia's future "rests on" them. He accused "Western globalist elites" of provoking conflicts and used his speech to justify his invasion of Ukraine.

The military parade commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany was scaled back for security reasons due to a series of explosions and incidents of sabotage across Russia in recent weeks. Despite this, a handful of international leaders attended the celebration, including the Central Asian leaders, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Armenia's prime minister.

Mr. Putin's speech followed similar themes to last year, likening the fight with Ukraine's "criminal regime" to the defeat of Nazi Germany. However, he was accused of war crimes in Ukraine by the International Criminal Court (ICC).