Russia is a nation of winners
President Vladimir Putin has described Russia as a nation of winners, praising the country's role in the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
The Russian leader made the remarks on Wednesday at the Znanie.First educational marathon in Moscow, held ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in 1945.
Putin emphasized the sacrifices made by all Soviet republics during the war, with a particular focus on Russia's contribution.
'For victory, no one spared themselves,' he said. 'Russia, due to its scale, of course made the greatest contribution to this victory. It gave the most – its sons and daughters who died defending the motherland and our common future.'
Putin added that nations defeated in the war are now trying to lecture Russia and 'distort the truth.' However, he insisted that Russia is 'without a doubt, a nation of winners' and continues to stand its ground.
'When I say 'nation', I mean all the peoples, all the ethnic groups of the former Soviet Union, and of course, of Russia,' Putin said.
Moscow views the victory over Nazi Germany as a profound symbol of national resilience, as the USSR lost an estimated 26.6 million lives during the war. For this year's commemoration, the Russian government has extended multiple invitations, including to the leaders of China, India, and Brazil, as well as numerous other international leaders.
Russia will celebrate the anniversary of the Soviet Union's defeat of fascism and hold its annual Victory Day parade on Red Square on May 9. More than 20 foreign leaders are expected to attend, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned the leaders of the bloc's candidate countries against attending Russia's celebrations. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Kallas' comments as tantamount to a revival of Nazism.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
14 hours ago
- Russia Today
Kremlin comments on Israel's attack on Iran
Russia 'is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions' between Israel and Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, commenting on the Israeli strikes. Earlier on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a series of attacks targeting both military and nuclear sites in Iran. Central Tehran was also hit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The attack came just two days before the sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Oman. Peskov told reporters on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is monitoring the situation through the Defense Ministry, Foreign Intelligence Service, and Foreign Ministry. 'President Putin receives real-time reports on events in the region,' Peskov said. Iranian media reported that several top-level military commanders, including Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami and Deputy Chief of Army Staff Gholam Ali Rashid, and at least six nuclear scientists were killed in the strikes. According to state news agency IRNA, Tehran has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council following the airstrikes on its territory, which it described as 'blatant aggression' by Israel. The Iranian Army earlier warned that 'a bitter lesson awaits Netanyahu.' Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on Friday morning that Israel 'should expect severe punishment.' In light of the rapidly deteriorating security situation, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv has advised Russian citizens to refrain from traveling to Israel and urged those already in the country to stay near shelters.
Russia Today
17 hours ago
- Russia Today
Kremlin comments on Israeli attack on Iran
Russia 'is concerned and condemns the sharp escalation of tensions' between Israel and Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, commenting on the Israeli strikes. Earlier on Friday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a series of attacks targeting both military and nuclear sites in Iran. Central Tehran was also hit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The attack came just two days before the sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Oman. Peskov told reporters on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is monitoring the situation through the Defense Ministry, Foreign Intelligence Service, and Foreign Ministry. 'President Putin receives real-time reports on events in the region,' Peskov said. Iranian media reported that several top-level military commanders, including Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami and Deputy Chief of Army Staff Gholam Ali Rashid, and at least six nuclear scientists were killed in the strikes. According to state news agency IRNA, Tehran has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council following the airstrikes on its territory, which it described as 'blatant aggression' by Israel. The Iranian Army earlier warned that 'a bitter lesson awaits Netanyahu.' Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned on Friday morning that Israel 'should expect severe punishment.' In light of the rapidly deteriorating security situation, the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv has advised Russian citizens to refrain from traveling to Israel and urged those already in the country to stay near shelters.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Russia creating dedicated drone force
Russia is in the process of establishing drone forces as a separate branch of the military, President Vladimir Putin has said, revealing that up to half of all battlefield kills in the Ukraine conflict come from UAVs. The president made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with top military and civilian officials dedicated to Russia's armament plan for the next decade. Unmanned systems have been playing a crucial role on the battlefield, and the scope of their use is only growing, Putin stated. 'They are capable of destroying armored vehicles, entrenchments, communication systems, transport, and enemy manpower. Our drone operators are currently responsible for a significant portion – up to 50% – of the destroyed and damaged enemy equipment and facilities,' the president said. Apart from the direct combat use, drones are widely employed for reconnaissance, electronic warfare, mining and demining, the president noted. Russia is currently in the process of forming a dedicated drone force, Putin said, adding that its development and deployment must be as 'swift and top-notch' as possible. 'I believe we have accumulated good experience in order to create this branch of the military. We are talking about training personnel, production, and deliveries of modern devices capable of enhancing the combat capabilities of our troops,' the president said. The establishment of the new branch of service – the Unmanned Systems Troops – was first announced last December as part of the effort to boost the use of unmanned technology on the battlefield. At the time, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said the branch would be formed in the third quarter of this year.
