Putin Uses Victory Day Parade to Rally Support, Mark Ukraine War Amid Ceasefire Rejections

Russia commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany with a grand military parade in Moscow, where President Vladimir Putin drew direct parallels between the historic World War II victory and Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Putin framed the Ukraine conflict as a continuation of the fight against fascism, describing soldiers in Ukraine as heroes defending the nation against "Nazism, Russophobia and anti-Semitism," a narrative widely rejected by Kyiv and the international community. The parade featured over 11,000 troops, advanced military hardware including drones and tanks used in Ukraine, and was marked by the presence of allies such as Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean military officials, signaling a political show of strength and solidarity. Despite the spectacle aimed at boosting patriotism and projecting power, domestic support for the war in Russia has declined to around 30 percent. Ukraine dismissed Putin's ceasefire proposal as a political ploy and invited Western leaders to Kyiv to bolster support against Russian aggression. The event underscored the Kremlin's use of historical symbolism to justify its military campaign and to reinforce Russia’s authoritarian alliances amid global condemnation.