On May 9, Russia will stage its annual Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square — a lavish display of military power wrapped in historical myth. For Vladimir Putin, this is more than a commemoration of WWII’s end: it’s a weapon of memory, used to justify today’s aggression.
- Russia’s Distorted WWII Narrative
The Kremlin promotes the “Great Patriotic War” as a uniquely Russian triumph over Nazi Germany — erasing uncomfortable facts:
- In 1939, the USSR signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with Nazi Germany, jointly invading Poland and launching WWII.
- Stalin helped rebuild the German war machine, providing fuel, grain, and raw materials.
- Before Germany’s betrayal in 1941, Moscow’s military cooperation enabled Hitler’s early victories in Europe.
- The True Battlefield: Ukraine
- Hitler’s main target in the East was Ukraine, not Russia.
- Ukraine suffered two genocidal campaigns: Stalin’s famine in the 1930s and Hitler’s extermination plans.
- Over 5–8 million Ukrainian civilians died; millions more were enslaved or died in uniform.
- Western Support — The Forgotten Contribution
- The Soviet Union relied heavily on U.S. and Allied Lend-Lease aid — from tanks to trucks, even uranium.
- Without this aid, as Khrushchev admitted, the Soviet advance from Stalingrad to Berlin would have been impossible.
- Postwar Betrayal and Repression
- At Nuremberg, Soviet war crimes were buried to maintain the Allied front.
- Western powers forcibly repatriated Soviet refugees under Operation Keelhaul, often condemning them to death or the gulag.
- Putin’s Victory Day: Past as Political Weapon
- Putin uses May 9 to sanctify Russian imperialism and excuse modern-day aggression.
- By inviting Western dignitaries, he seeks to legitimize Russia’s narrative and expand influence.
Why This Matters Today
- Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova — today’s Kremlin targets — are heirs to the suffering the Soviet Union helped unleash in 1939.
- Western leaders must reject participation in Russia’s historical spectacle and stand with the nations once devastated by Moscow’s ambitions.
Remember on May 9: This is not just a parade — it’s a rehearsal for Putin’s bigger geopolitical ambitions.
Andy J. Semotiuk
Senior Advisor for The Centre for Eastern European Democracy
May 3, 2025