Putin recalled that the Soviet Union paid with millions of lives for the freedom and peace of all humanity, and called Victory Day the most important holiday for the Russian people. He said that Russia, which has not forgotten the lessons of World War II, must defend the honor of the Red Army for its heroic deeds.
He emphasized that Russia will always be an insurmountable obstacle to Nazism and will fight against the crimes of its followers. He stressed that the entire country supports the ongoing "special operation" (in Ukraine) and is proud of the morale of the soldiers fighting there.
He praised the contribution of the World War II allies to the 1945 victory, first mentioning the Chinese people.
"The opening of the second front brought victory in World War II closer, after the decisive battles had already been fought on the territory of the Soviet Union," he said.
Among the more than two dozen heads of state and government who arrived in Moscow for the commemoration were Xi Jinping of China, Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, Aleksandar Vučić of Serbia, and Robert Fico of Slovakia.
More than 11,500 soldiers marched in this year's parade, of whom more than 1,500 took part in the "special military operation" against Ukraine. Unmanned systems were seen for the first time on Red Square.
The parade also featured honorary units from 12 friendly countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Egypt, China, Laos, Mongolia, and Myanmar.
Putin expressed his special gratitude to the four North Korean generals watching the parade from the stands.
