Victory Day Thoughts and Presidential Speech Transcript

Here’s Putin’s speech translated into English, an a synopsis of the day’s festivities.

This victory parade was more modest than in previous years, and for two reasons. The first reason is the optics of throwing lavish celebrations during a war and near-daily NATO shellings and HIMARS strikes against people in Russia’s border towns, and this trend started early last year. For example, I recall a Russian turbopatriot cursing the government last Autumn because he saw a road repair crew fixing tiles in central Moscow. In his opinion, this money should have been sent to Donbass. And perhaps the repairmen too. The second reason is, simply, a matter of security. Larger events require more people knowing sensitive details, more equipment and space that needs to be watched carefully, and more residual risk.

Yet, even with this smaller and shorter ceremony, I wondered if a Ukrainian or Islamist would try to Leroy Jenkins his way toward the Red Square or one of the neighboring streets. Fortunately, no such thing seems to have happened.

Right or wrong, there will likely be few sensational parties and festivals in Russia until every last Banderite and NATO [polite word for a member of the LGBT community] has been buried or pushed into the sea.

Unfortunately, local celebrations have also been canceled or reduced in scale, however, it is still possible to find modest gatherings, like this one I recorded in Mytishchi:

Regarding Putin’s speech, the most significant takeaway isn’t necessarily the speech itself but who was present for it. Heads of state from most of the former Soviet countries sat in the VIP section near Putin, which was no-doubt a well-thought out and premeditated stunt. Invitations have to be sent out with caution, because a declined invitation can be embarrassing. Of course Russia’s BFF Lukashenko would no doubt attend, but anyone else is less of a certainty. Especially since such invitations have to be accepted with an equal amount of caution, because Washington is like a bitter and jealous ex-girlfriend, eager to punish other countries for offenses, real or imagined. Accepting Putin’s invitation is a signal, or at least a tenuous signal, by these other governments that they understand which side their bread is buttered. They’re willing to publically fraternize with Team Globohomo’s most hated enemy in the East. And by necessary extension, one can conclude that they don’t fear being punished, or perhaps they’re so fed up by Washington’s post-menopausal behavior they no longer care.

I find this to be perhaps the most remarkable shift from last year’s parade, and for the better. The global war between the Bear and the Pedophile Rainbow+ is shaping up to be a multi-year affair, but the economic, political, and military balance of power has noticeably shifted in Russia’s favor. Enough so that they can overtly bring the old gang back together, even if it’s just for a day in the Red Square.

When I went online to find an English translation, I struggled to find one, which is a shift even from last year. The corporate stenographers in western media outlets seem hesitant to let their audiences see Putin’s full statements in context. Gee I wonder why. But here’s a Yandex translation of the ceremony and speech from the Kremlin website:

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander , President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, President of Tajikistan , President of Turkmenistan , President of Uzbekistan . Before the start of the parade, Vladimir Putin greeted the leaders of foreign countries who arrived in Moscow to participate in the solemn events in the Kremlin’s Coat of Arms Hall.

The parade began with the removal of the Russian Flag and the Victory Banner to Red Square. The parade was commanded by the Commander – in-Chief of the Ground Forces, General of the Army Oleg Salyukov, and received by the Minister of Defense.

As part of the walking column, 30 parade crews passed through Red Square: more than eight thousand military personnel, including 530 special military operation fighters.

The mechanized column was headed by the legendary “Victory tank” T-34-85. Armored vehicles “Tiger-M”, BTR-82A, BMP “Boomerang”, operational-tactical missile system “Iskander-M”, launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems S-400 “Triumph” and mobile ground-based missile systems “Yars”passed along the paving stones of the main square. For the first time, the newest armored vehicles “Spartak” and 3-STS “Akhmat” took part in the parade.

Musical accompaniment was provided by the consolidated military orchestra.

* * *

Russian President’s speech at the military parade

Vladimir Putin: Dear citizens of Russia,

Dear veterans,

Fellow soldiers and sailors, sergeants and petty officers, midshipmen and ensigns!

Fellow officers, generals and admirals!

Fighters and commanders-participants of a special military operation!

I congratulate you on the Victory Day!

Happy holiday – in honor of our fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers who glorified and immortalized their names, defending the Fatherland. At the cost of immeasurable courage and huge sacrifices, they saved humanity from Nazism.

Today, civilization is once again at a crucial turning point. A real war has once again been unleashed against our Homeland, but we have rebuffed international terrorism, we will protect the residents of Donbass and ensure our own security.

For us, for Russia, there are no unfriendly, hostile peoples either in the West or in the East. Like the vast majority of people on the planet, we want to see a peaceful, free and stable future.

We believe that any ideology of superiority is inherently disgusting, criminal and deadly. However, Western globalist elites still insist on their exclusivity, pit people against each other and split societies, provoke bloody conflicts and coups, sow hatred, Russophobia, aggressive nationalism, and destroy family and traditional values that make a person a person. And all this in order to continue to dictate, impose on the peoples their will, their rights, rules, and in fact, a system of plunder, violence and suppression.

They seem to have forgotten the consequences of the Nazis ‘ insane claim to world domination. They have forgotten who defeated this monstrous, total evil, who stood up for their native land and did not spare their lives for the liberation of the peoples of Europe.

We see how memorials to Soviet soldiers are being ruthlessly and coldly destroyed in a number of countries, monuments to great military leaders are being demolished, a real cult of Nazis and their accomplices is being created, and they are trying to erase and slander the memory of real heroes. Such an outrage on the heroism and victims of the victorious generation is also a crime, a blatant revanchism of those who cynically and openly prepared a new campaign against Russia, who gathered neo-Nazi evil spirits from all over the world for this.

Their goal-and this is nothing new-is to achieve the disintegration and destruction of our country, to undo the results of World War II, to finally break the system of global security and international law, and to stifle any sovereign development centers.

Excessive ambition, arrogance and permissiveness inevitably turn into tragedies. This is the reason for the catastrophe that the Ukrainian people are experiencing right now. He became a hostage of the coup d’etat and the criminal regime of his Western masters formed on its basis, a bargaining chip in the implementation of their cruel, selfish plans.

For us in Russia, the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland is sacred, we keep it in our hearts. We pay tribute to the Resistance members who bravely fought against Nazism, the soldiers of the allied armies of the United States, Great Britain, and other countries. We remember and honor the feat of Chinese soldiers in the battle against Japanese militarism.

I am convinced that the experience of solidarity and partnership in the years of fighting a common threat is our invaluable legacy. It is a solid foundation right now, when the irreversible movement towards a more just multipolar world based on the principles of trust and indivisible security, equal opportunities for the distinctive and free development of all countries and peoples is gaining momentum.

It is very important that the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States gathered here in Moscow today. I see in this a grateful attitude to the feat of our ancestors: they fought together and won together – all the peoples of the USSR contributed to the common Victory.

We will always remember this. We bow our heads before the bright memory of all those whose lives were taken by the war, before the memory of sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, relatives, friends.

A minute of silence is observed.

(Minute of silence.)

Dear citizens of Russia,

Battles that are decisive for the fate of our Motherland have always become domestic, national and sacred. We are faithful to the precepts of our ancestors, deeply and clearly understand what it means to be worthy of the heights of their military, labor and moral achievements.

We are proud of the participants of the special military operation, all those who fight on the front line, who provide the front line under fire, save the wounded. There is nothing more important now than your combat work. The country’s security rests on you today, and the future of our statehood and people depends on you. You are honourably fulfilling your military duty, fighting for Russia. Your families, children, and friends are behind you. They are waiting for you. I’m sure you can feel their boundless love.

The whole country rallied to support our heroes. Everyone is ready to help, praying for you.

Comrades! Friends! Dear veterans,

Today, each of our families honors the participants of the Great Patriotic War, remembers their relatives, their heroes, and lays flowers at military memorials.

We are standing on Red Square, on the land that remembers the warriors of Yuri Dolgoruky and Dmitry Donskoy, the militia of Minin and Pozharsky, the soldiers of Peter the Great and Kutuzov, the parades of 1941 and 1945.

Today, the participants of the special military operation here are regular military personnel and those who joined the ranks of the Armed Forces during partial mobilization, these are fighters of the Luhansk and Donetsk corps, many volunteer combat formations, employees of the Rosgvardiya, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the FSB, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and other special services and departments.

Greetings, friends! Greetings to all those who are fighting for Russia on the battlefield, who are now on duty.

During the Great Patriotic War, our heroic ancestors proved that there is nothing stronger, more powerful and reliable than our unity. There is nothing in the world stronger than our love for the Motherland.

For Russia! To our valiant Armed Forces! For the Victory!

Hurray!

Ian Kummer

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