Putin Defends Ukraine War in Victory Day Address as Trump Brokers Ceasefire

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual Victory Day address in Moscow's Red Square on Saturday to defend Russia's war in Ukraine and accuse NATO of supporting actions hostile to Russia. Speaking during the military parade commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Putin said Russian troops fighting in Ukraine were defending the country's security and sovereignty against what he described as Western-backed aggression. This year's ceremony took place under heightened security amid fears of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow. In a significant departure fro

Russian President Vladimir Putin used his annual Victory Day address in Moscow's Red Square on Saturday to defend Russia's war in Ukraine and accuse NATO of supporting actions hostile to Russia.

Speaking during the military parade commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, Putin said Russian troops fighting in Ukraine were defending the country's security and sovereignty against what he described as Western-backed aggression.

This year's ceremony took place under heightened security amid fears of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow. In a significant departure from previous years, no military hardware was displayed in Red Square, the first time in nearly two decades that tanks, missiles and armored vehicles were absent from the annual showcase.

Russian servicemen attend the Victory Day military parade in Moscow, Saturday, May 9, 2026, during celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany during World War II. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Putin also paid tribute to Soviet soldiers who fought in World War II, linking their legacy to Russian forces currently engaged in what the Kremlin continues to call a "special military operation" in Ukraine.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a three-day ceasefire running from May 9 to 11, to include a large-scale prisoner exchange of 1,000 for 1,000. Both the Kremlin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the agreement.

The announcement came after both sides traded accusations of ceasefire violations earlier in the day. Russia's defense ministry accused Ukraine of breaching a temporary truce it had declared ahead of the Victory Day commemorations.

Zelenskyy rejected the claim, saying Russian forces had carried out more than 140 attacks on front-line positions and more than 850 drone strikes overnight alone.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who earlier this week accused Russia of violating a ceasefire proposed by Kyiv, said the pattern of behavior was consistent. "Putin only cares about military parades, not human lives," Sybiha said.

Victory Day, marked annually on May 9, remains one of Russia's most significant national commemorations and is closely tied to the country's wartime history and national identity.