IN AN ironic twist, Russian President Vladimir Putin will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazism with a collection of the world’s most ruthless dictators. Western leaders are to snub the Victory Day parade inMoscow’s Red Square and Putin will instead treat a number of Asian despots andNorth Korea’s notorious Kim Jong-un to one of the biggest displays of Russianmilitary power ever staged.The refusal of the Western leaders to play ball has annoyedPutin who wants to show off his latest toy, a new tank said to surpass allWestern versions because of the superior protection it offers its crew and itsremotely controlled cannon.The T-14 Armata tank will join 200 armoured vehicles, 150planes and helicopters and around 16,000 soldiers in the parade on May 9.
THE RUSSIAN VIEW
WHILE the Western boycott is meant to convey disapproval of Putin’s backing of pro-Russian separatists fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine, the Russians view it as disrespect for their immensecontribution to the Second World War and the huge losses they sustained.This year may be the last parade attended by the dwindlingnumber of surviving veterans and Putin has used this to fan anti-Westernsentiment and whip up patriotism.By uniting people against the West, he believes he can distractthem from Russia’s growing economic woes.According to Putin, the US is guilty of putting pressure onEuropean leaders to snub the parade and Russia’s “enemies” are trying tominimise the country’s role in the victory over Nazi Germany.“Their goal is obvious: to undermine Russia’s power andmoral authority ... to divide peoples and set them against each other and usehistorical speculation in their geopolitical games,” he said last month.He was backed by a bitter Konstantin Kosachev, head ofRussia’s foreign affairs committee, who said: “They [the West] would have triedto spoil our 70th anniversary victory celebration in any case.”
FORMER SOVIET ALLIES
MOSCOW is using the occasion to cement ties with Asia, Africa and South America as well as former Soviet-era allies. These ties have grown since Western economic sanctions were imposed on Russia last year inprotest over the annexing of Crimea. While Putin’s posturing always seems to go down well withthe voters, critics worry he is fuelling xenophobia and aggression, especiallyas the state media is showing war films intertwined with war footage from eastUkraine on a continuous loop.Last year, just after Crimea was annexed, Putin said thedefeat of the Nazis was an inspiration for Russia’s actions.In a speech at the Crimean port of Sevastopol, he told thesailors and soldiers of the Black Sea Fleet: “Veterans, you set the example forus all, and you have made a tremendous moral contribution to the return ofCrimea and Sevastopol to their native land. You have handed down to us thegreat values of unity, justice and togetherness and have taught us to actaccording to our conscience.”To inflame matters more, Ukraine’s government has been brandedfascist by the Russian media although, in retaliation, the Ukraine governmenthas complained that if anyone resembles the Nazis it is the Russians.“Today we see not only attempts at distorting the events ofthe war, but also cynical lies and impudent defamation of an entire generationof people who gave up everything for this victory, who defended peace onEarth,” Putin told a recent meeting of the committee in charge of the parade.“Their goal is obvious: to undermine Russia’s power and moral authority … andto use historical speculations in their geopolitical games. At times, it soundslike downright ravings – it is amazing how people get these ideas.”
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES
ONE European leader who has shown some solidarity with Putin is Czech president Milos Zeman but even he has had to back down from his plans to attend the parade, although he will still visit Moscow.Criticism for the Czech president came from voters andopposition politicians who have not forgotten that liberation from the Nazis wasfollowed by Soviet occupation.After Zeman changed his plans, Russian foreign ministryspokeswoman Maria Zakharova protested: “I think, after all the anti-Russianpropaganda, nobody in Europe remembers for example that 140,000 Soviet soldiersdied in the liberation of Czechoslovakia. “Taking into account the injured and missing, more than halfa million people suffered. Now all this historical memory has been trampled onby Washington. It’s a shame for Europeans, they have become lost.”
WHO WILL BE THERE?
GERMAN leader Angela Merkel agreed to travel to Moscow butnot until the day after the parade when she will lay a wreath at the warmemorial.The leaders of China and India will attend the parade andmembers of the Chinese army’s guard of honour will take part for the firsttime.UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to attend andthe US and Japan have agreed to send ambassadors. Britain has not yet said ifan ambassador will represent the UK.South Korea has declined the invitation but Uzbekistan’sIslam Karimov and Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, both of whom areaccused of terrible human rights abuses, will join the party.There is still a possibility that Kim Jong-un will not showup but even if he doesn’t, this year’s event will be a different set up to the60th anniversary when Putin welcomed German chancellor Gerhard Schröder, USpresident George W Bush and French president Jacques ChiracTwenty-six major Russian cities, including Kerch andSevastopol in Crimea, will hold simultaneous parades and joint civil-militaryparades will be held in 50 other towns and cities on the national holiday.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here