Putin's Victory Day Parade Reduced Amid Ukraine War Challenges

Russia's Victory Day military parade, traditionally a grand display of military strength, has been significantly scaled down since the invasion of Ukraine, with much of Russia's modern equipment deployed in the conflict and only a single World War II-era tank parading in recent years. The 80th anniversary celebrations in 2025 are marked by hosting foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, and are used by the Kremlin to bolster domestic support for the war, presenting the historic victory as a narrative paralleling Russia's current geopolitical stance. However, analysts note that beneath the pomp, Russia faces military, economic, and diplomatic challenges, with its military struggling to advance and its economy under pressure. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns Russia's attempts to appropriate the shared victory over Nazism, emphasizing the immense losses borne by Ukraine and other nations and condemning Soviet-era crimes. Meanwhile, critiques of NATO's preparedness highlight perceptions of the alliance as vulnerable, with experts warning that Russia has exposed weaknesses in NATO's military capabilities amid ongoing conflict. These developments reflect the complex interplay of historical memory, current conflict, and international relations surrounding Russia's commemorations and the war in Ukraine.