Russia Holds Victory Day Celebrations Amid Fresh Strikes On Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has presided over a parade to commemorate the end of World War II in Europe even as he pushes ahead with the continent's largest land war since since the conflict ended in 1945.

Speaking at the start of the parade on May 9, Putin said the world was at a key turning point and told thousands of soldiers and spectators at the event marking the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany that his country is battling for its future.

He accused what he called "Western globalist elites" of "sowing hatred, Russophobia, aggressive nationalism," and destroying "family, traditional values," refrains he has used often since he launched his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In contrast, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on May 9 hours after a volley of Russian missiles were launched at the Ukrainian capital, saying she was happy to be in a country "where the values we hold dear are defended every day."

As the events commemorating European unity in Kyiv and the end of World War II in Moscow took place, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said peace negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine were "not possible at this moment."

It is clear that the two sides "are completely absorbed in this war" and "are convinced that they can win," Guterres said in an interview published on May 9 by the Spanish daily newspaper El Pais. Guterres said he hoped it would be possible "in the future" to bring Russia and Ukraine to the negotiating table.

Putin presided over scaled-down commemorations, while parades in several other cities were canceled and traditional processions in which people carry portraits of relatives who fought against the Nazis were scrapped.

Gone too was the pomp of fighter jet flyovers, massive columns of tanks, and most other military hardware, though leaders of former Soviet states including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Turkmenistan, and Armenia attended the military parade, a sign of how much sway the Kremlin still has in Central Asia and other regions near Russia.

SEE ALSO: 'Do They Fear Large Crowds?': In The Shadow Of War Against Ukraine, Kremlin Scales Back Victory Day Commemorations

The countries were part of the Soviet Union at the time of World War II but declared their independence as the Russian-dominated U.S.S.R. collapsed in 1991.

"Putin is attempting to use the Moscow Victory Day parade to show Russia’s continued influence in Central Asia," the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said.

Russians React To Cancelation Of Local Victory Day Parades

The parade took place against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that has isolated Moscow amid global condemnation and sanctions, as well as the issuance of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for Putin.

Under Putin, Russia has gone to great lengths to commemorate World War II -- which killed more than 20 million Soviet citizens -- including reviving the pompous military parade held on Red Square during Soviet times.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow on May 9.

During his more than 20 years in power, Putin has increasingly tried to unite Russian citizens around what they call the Great Patriotic War, transforming the memory of the four-year struggle against Nazi Germany into an integral part of national identity.

Separately, Putin has called the dissolution of the Soviet Union last century's "greatest geopolitical catastrophe," and his increasing tendency toward authoritarian rule, including the invasion of Ukraine, have evoked comparisons with the former Russian and Soviet empires.

His increasingly repressive rule and foreign aggression have alienated many foreign leaders, resulting in a dwindling number of foreign dignitaries willing to attend his nostalgic parade.

With reporting by AFP and dpa