Putin calls Kyiv ‘one of the ancient Russian capitals’
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin made a speech at the Victory Parade in Moscow’s Red Square, TASS reports.
“It is our sacred duty to protect the real heroes of the Great Patriotic War when in a number of countries people shamelessly lie to their children about the war and betray their ancestors ... The memory of the war and its truth is in our conscience and one of our responsibilities. Today we see how a number of states deliberately distort the events of the war and make idols out of those who, forgetting all honor and human dignity, served the Nazis, shamelessly lie to their children, betray their ancestors,” Putin said at the parade.
He also reminded the audience of the inscription on the walls of the Brest Fortress: “I die, but do not give up.” In his opinion, this captures the mentality and actions of the war years.
“Victory was achieved because of the bravery shown by soldiers defending the ancient Russian capitals of Kyiv and Veliky Novgorod, the fearlessness of the defenders of Smolensk, Odessa, Sevastopol, the boundless resilience of the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad,” Putin went on to say.
He also stated that the victory over fascism “has a special place among the victories of the Russian armed forces” while many other countries submitted to its brazen power.
“Many states surrendered to this brazen power and the Nazis’ eyes were blinded with impunity. They thought they could also crush the Soviet Union, a thousand-year-old Russia, in a matter of weeks. It didn’t work!” the President of the Russian Federation said and promised to develop the state’s defense capabilities.
In 2010, Putin, who was then Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, declared that Russia would have won the Great Patriotic War even if Ukraine had not been part of the USSR.