Europe Day in Ukraine: Celebrating Historical Unity and Defeating Nazism

On the eve of the signing of the corresponding decree, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced.

«Today I signed a corresponding decree, and every year from tomorrow, May 9, we will honor our historical unity – the unity of all Europeans who destroyed Nazism and will defeat rashism,” the Ukrainian president said in an address on the occasion of the Day of Remembrance and victory over Nazism in the Second World War 1939-1945.

Zelensky also stressed that he would submit a bill to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which proposes to establish May 8 as the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in the Second World War of 1939-1945.

First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Kornienko said that the Rada would fix a new model – May 8 – Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II, May 9 – Europe Day – until the end of the month.

NV follows the main events of today in Ukraine

Europe Day in Ukraine May 9, 2023 — online

13:18 Chronicles «Victory”: examples of Russian absurdity by May 9, and how users of social networks see it

After the shameful failure of the Russian occupiers in Ukraine, the celebration of May 9 on Red Square in Moscow in 2023 also turned into a complete fiasco for the Russian Federation.

Having lost thousands of tanks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russians were able to present at their traditional military parade only one ancient T-34-1940s and several dozen armored cars.

What do social networks and cartoonists of leading publications think about this in the NV review.

13:08 Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Ursula von der Leyen in Kyiv

Zelensky noted the symbolism of the visit of the head of the European Commission to the capital of Ukraine on May 9.

«From now on, May 9 will be Europe Day – in the European Union, as well as in Ukraine. Today we meet in Kyiv on this special day, because Kyiv is the perfect place to celebrate Europe Day. Every day, the brave people of Ukraine defend exactly those values ​​that are the basis of the European Union,” the President of Ukraine commented on this meeting.

12:55 Dead invaders could walk on Red Square for hours – Danilov

«For several hours, the dead Russian occupiers, who died ingloriously and without honor in Ukraine, can walk in a “parade” on Red Square. This is the only parade that Putin, the killer of Ukrainian children, deserves to host at his PMC troops, and the only truth that Russians should know about their country,” wrote on Facebook on the occasion of the celebration of May 9 in Moscow Alexey Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.

12:35 In Moscow, the parade was the least military over the past 15 years – media

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According to the Russian edition of the Agency, 10,000 military men were supposed to take part in the May 9 parade, but there were about 8,000 of them – the smallest number since 2008. Allegedly, military personnel fighting against Ukraine also participated, but the parade did not include several military formations represented last year.

In particular, there was no 4th Guards Tank Kantemirovskaya Division, whose occupiers were in the Kharkiv region during the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the fall, the Agency writes.

There was also much less military equipment taken to Red Square than before. The Russian service of the BBC reports that the Kremlin has collected about 125 pieces of equipment in total. There was only one tank at the parade – the museum T-34, which is about 80 years old. Last year there were about 20 different tanks.

The air part of the parade was canceled altogether.

12:26 Ursula von der Leyen inspected destroyed Russian equipment in the center of Kyiv – Reuters photo

The head of the European Commission visited Mikhailovskaya Square in the capital, where she examined Russian equipment and a photo exhibition about Russian war crimes in Ukrainian cities.

She also honored the memory of the fallen Ukrainian heroes at the St. Michael’s Cathedral.

12:20 The main character is the people. What did the poll for the days of memory and victory show

Oleksiy Garan, professor of political science at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and scientific director of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation, analyzed data from a new survey conducted by the foundation (Symbols, events and personalities shaping the national memory of the war with Russia).

«We asked, in particular, who made the greatest contribution to repulsing the Russian invasion in the first months of the war? By a wide margin in the lead — Defense Forces of Ukraine (78%), Ukrainian people (62%) and volunteers (46%). In fourth place (possibly unfairly) turned out to be the central authorities (president, government) – 24%, immediately behind them – partisans (18%), even lower – local authorities (13%). Interestingly, the partisans bypassed the central government in the east – that is, where the partisan movement, due to purely geographical reasons, was at the forefront of resistance, ”Garan emphasizes.

12:00 The day off will be on May 8. Rada Committee recommended supporting Zelensky’s bill on the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism

This was announced by the People’s Deputy from the Servant of the People Evgenia Kravchuk.

«Just now, the Humanitarian and Information Policy Committee at its meeting unanimously supported the draft law of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky 9278 and recommended that it be adopted as a basis and as a whole. I am convinced that the Verkhovna Rada will vote it in the session hall this month!” she wrote.

Kravchuk explained that in this case, after the end of martial law, the day off will be moved from May 9 to May 8, when Ukraine will celebrate the Day of Remembrance and victory over Nazism in the Second World War of 1939-1945.

11:23 There were no tanks at the parade in Moscow, except for one rare 80-year-old T-34

In the mechanized convoy of Russian vehicles that drove through Red Square in Moscow today, there was not a single tank, except for one Soviet T-34 from the Second World War. Typically, a tank of this model traditionally opens the movement of the column at the May 9 parade, however, in past years, the Russian Federation also boasted on Red Square of newer models of tanks.

In the same year, only launchers of S-400 air defense systems, BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, launchers of the Russian operational-tactical missile system Iskander-M, Yars missile systems on tractors and Boomerang armored personnel carriers passed in the convoy.

11:15 The air part of the parade in Moscow was canceled

About it reported Russian state propaganda agency TASS.

The parade in Moscow has already ended. It lasted about 45 minutes, less than an hour – this is less than in previous years, notes Radio Liberty.

11:07 “Ukraine is Europe, and Kyiv is the European capital” – Kyiv authorities congratulated Ukrainians on the new holiday

«For the first time we are celebrating Europe Day together with a European family. And it is unity that will lead us to Victory. Happy Europe Day! Together we will win! — says in congratulations to the KSCA.

11:00 Deception was quickly revealed. The Russians were disgraced by a fake video with a red flag over the Reichstag

Several fake videos shot from different angles were made public on social networks, on which comments were allegedly superimposed «eyewitnesses” in German. On them, over the Reichstag, the Soviet flag seems to be fluttering again. However, these videos are fake: the Berlin authorities did not plant the USSR flag over the German parliament and did not give permission for this.

10:25 No war decisions. Putin delivered a featureless speech on Red Square full of propaganda clichés and clichés

Vladimir Putin did not announce any decisions related to the war in Ukraine in his speech at the parade in Moscow. He still called it a “special military operation” and said that the Russian Federation was “proud” of the participants in the genocidal war against Ukraine.

Putin once again stated that against Russia allegedly «unleashed a real war,” and the West «provokes conflicts and upheavals, destroys traditional values ​​in order to continue to dictate their own rules, and in fact, a system of robbery and violence.”

The dictator also repeated the propaganda thesis that Ukraine supposedly «became a hostage of the coup d’état and a bargaining chip in the hands of the West.

In addition, Putin distorted the realities of history and the war he unleashed, saying that Western countries allegedly “forgot what the Nazi claims to world domination led to, forgot who liberated the peoples of Europe.”

10:16 AFP called Europe Day in Ukraine and von der Leyen’s visit «symbolic response” to the parade in Moscow

«The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, arrived in Kyiv to celebrate Europe Day, a celebration of peace and unity – this is how Ukraine demonstrates a symbolic response to the Victory parade in Moscow, ”the agency notes.

AFP also publishes a photo of the moment when one of the Russian missiles was shot down over Kiev on May 9th.

10:07 “Russia celebrates May 9 with new missiles.” The US Ambassador commented on the missile attack on Ukraine

«Ukraine, Europe and the US celebrated the victory over tyranny yesterday. Russia is celebrating May 9 with new missiles and drones launched towards Ukrainian cities and sleeping civilians,” Bridget Brink wrote.

10:02 A parade has begun in Moscow, it is guarded with anti-drone guns, Putin is present on the podium

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is also present at the parade.

09:20 May 9 parade in Moscow: what is Putin trying to achieve and why his guests didn’t announce their participation until the last moment – ​​ISW

«Russia wants to use the May 9 victory parade in Moscow as another means to delineate its sphere of influence, but Central Asian leaders have refrained from directly supporting the war. This is probably why they did not announce their visits to Moscow until recently. This is discussed in the new summary of the Institute for the Study of War following the results of May 8.

08:38 Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Tuesday, May 9. She announced this on Twitter.

Von der Leyen welcomed President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to make May 9 Europe Day in Ukraine.

«Nice to be back in Kyiv. Where the values ​​we value are upheld every day. Therefore, this is a very suitable place to celebrate Europe Day,” she wrote.

During the visit, the head of the European Commission plans to meet with Zelensky.

08:30 “Manifestation of a real cult «Victory”: on the night of May 9, the Russian Federation launched a massive missile attack on Kyiv and Ukraine – the main thing

On the night of Tuesday, May 9, an air alert was announced throughout Ukraine. A massive missile strike was inflicted on Kyiv, air defense forces shot down about 15 air targets in the capital area. Another wave of attacks was inflicted on the east of Ukraine, where 8 missiles were shot down.

In total, air defense forces in Ukraine destroyed 23 out of 25 missiles.

«[Атака была совершена] with maximum density and attack power exactly by May 9! This is a manifestation of a real cult of “victory insanity” – to create a sacred date for yourself from the day the Second World War ended and try to kill as many civilians as possible on that day!” – said the head of the KGVA Sergey Popko.

Why Victory Day is celebrated on May 8th and not May 9th

It was on May 8, 1945 that the Act of Surrender of Germany, signed the day before – on May 7 at 2:41 am CET in the French city of Reims, came into force.

Since then, it is on May 8 that the world celebrates Victory Day in Europe. (V Day), because the surrender of Germany put an end to the war on the continent.

And since 2005, the world has been celebrating May 8-9 as the Days of Remembrance and Reconciliation – in tribute to the memory of all the victims of the Second World War.

Ukraine joined this tradition in 2015, when President Petro Poroshenko signed a corresponding decree.

The Soviet Union and the countries of the socialist camp celebrated May 9 as Victory Day precisely because of the whims of Moscow and the historical circumstances of the capitulation of the Third Reich after the end of World War II in Europe.