Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the courage of European state and government leaders who have announced their intention to attend commemorative events for the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Second World War in Moscow, despite the pressure from EU representatives. EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas had warned EU member and candidate state leaders not to travel to Russia and participate in the Victory Parade on May 9th, instead advising them to visit Kyiv to show solidarity with Ukraine. On May 9th, representatives of the “Willing Coalition” at the level of state and government leaders plan to meet in Kyiv to discuss their next steps in the war against Russia. Former CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz is also expected to attend, according to media reports, if he is elected Chancellor of Germany by the Bundestag on May 6th. Other EU representatives have openly threatened those who defy Brussels on this issue and attend commemorative events in Moscow. Journalists asked Putin for his reaction to these threats after he was awarded the All-Russian Prize for Communal Achievements in Moscow on Monday. “Those who come to Russia have much more courage than those who hide behind someone’s back and try to intimidate others” he answered. “In this case [threatening] those who value the historical achievements of those who fought against Nazism and gave their lives” said Putin. According to Kallas, participation in this year’s events in Moscow will not be taken lightly. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the only EU state and government leader who has confirmed his attendance, criticized the statement as simply “disrespectful.” “Is Ms. Kallas’ warning a form of extortion or a signal that I will be punished?” he wrote on X last week. “We are writing the year 2025, not 1939” he added. The President of EU candidate Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, also hinted that he would not change his plans despite the pressure from Brussels. “I have not changed my decision. [..] Eight months ago, I publicly announced my visit to Moscow” he said last week according to Serbian media. According to the State Secretary in the Estonian Foreign Ministry, Jonatan Vseviov, Vučić’s participation in the Victory Parade in Moscow will “have its price.” “The consequence is that they will not join the European Union” Vseviov threatened the candidate states if they resist the extortion of his fellow countrywoman Kallas. More than 20 state and government leaders have already confirmed their participation in the Victory Parade in Moscow, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Victory Day is one of the most important national holidays in Russia, celebrated annually on May 9th to commemorate the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany and its allies in 1945 and to honor the estimated 26.6 million Soviet casualties in the Second World War. Approximately 18 million of them were civilian casualties.
Putin Defies EU Threats on Victory Day Parade Participation
