How Putin’s Victory Day Speeches Changed Over the Years

That sentiment was reflected in the speech on May 9, 2008, even though it was read by President Medvedev at the time: “We must be extremely serious […] about attempts by the West to meddle in the affairs of other states, as well as attempts to reform borders. We cannot allow negligence under international law.”

It was also the year when heavy military vehicles and missile systems took part in the parade for the first time. Human rights activist Lev Ponomarev accused Putin of warmongering and wondered who Putin was sending signals to. To Georgia? To the west? Putin replied: “It is not warmongering. We are not and will not threaten anyone, we are not imposing anything on anyone. We are demonstrating our growing defense capability.” That same year, Russia invaded Georgia.

May 9 canonized

On the eve of Victory Day in 2012, Putin once again became president of the Russian Federation. In the speech of that year he said that Russia “has a moral right” to defend its position, “because it was our country that suffered most from Nazism, responding to it with heroic resistance, determining the outcome of the war and bringing peace to all peoples” .

In 2014, May 9 was officially declared the most important day for Russia. Putin called it the day of “national triumph, the pride of the people, a day of mourning and eternal memory”. He did not mention the annexation of Crimea, which took place a few months earlier. But almost immediately after the parade in Red Square, Putin flew to Sevastopol to celebrate Victory Day in Crimea.

Russia against the West

There has also been a shift in how Putin looks at history over the past twenty years. In the past 20 years, May 9 in Kremlin rhetoric turned from a joint victory of the West, along with the Soviet Union, into an exclusive achievement of the Russian people. As of 2013, the contribution of allies was only briefly mentioned and eventually it was completely omitted.

Last year’s speech illustrates Putin’s current world view: Russia stands alone, against the rest of the world. “In the most difficult time of the war, in all the decisive battles that determined the outcome of the struggle against fascism, our people stood alone. Alone in an arduous, heroic road to victory.”

That last speech was longer and more menacing than usual. Putin also warned of the emerging neo-Nazism in European countries, calling it unacceptable for Russia† “Today we see massive assassination squads and their minions, attempts to rewrite our history, to justify traitors and criminals with the blood of hundreds of thousands of peaceful people on their hands.”

Some saw the words as confirmation that Russia is permanent state of war regards with the world. But analysts also predicted that a war with Ukraine seemed inevitable.

–