Why This Year’s Victory Day in Moscow is Special for Putin!

This year’s Victory Day Celebrations of Russia in Moscow, where Russian President Vladimir Putin will host dignitaries of some ally nations including Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been gathering notice as well as controversy more than before.

Reason lies in the geopolitical situation and geo-trade situation—first created by Russia-Ukraine war and then by United States’ effort to end the war, and second created by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff.

There of course is a third reason—completion of 25 long years of Putin as the President of Russia, the longest Head of State among the ones now holding offices across the Globe in different nations. Any Head of State would be more than willing to mark the Silver Jubilee year of his or her presidency, and so must be the case with President Putin as well!

However, divided as the world today is, though President Putin would like to have Heads of States of his ally nations share his joy, many may just be sending their representatives in order to ensure that anti-Russian block(s) is not unhappy.

According to reports, leaders of some of Russia’s allies are officially falling sick just before the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. Two European allies of Putin have taken ill, according to reports— Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been invited to attend the celebrations, but reports suggest that he is not going. His Cabinet Minister for Defence, Rajnath Singh, who is supposed to fill up in case of an absence of the Prime Minister in such a function, too is reportedly skipping the celebrations. Some junior rank minister is being considered to attend the function.

Along with Chinese President Xi, Brazil President Lula da Silva would be the global leader who defy situations to join Putin in Moscow.

Dignitaries of the guest nations arrive in Moscow on May 8 evening. The Victory Day parade, is set to occur on May 9, to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany and end of the World War II.

While it is the 80 th year of the occasion, it is also the 25 th year of Putin as the President of Russia—who because of the war with Ukraine has been attracting criticisms. Putin as of now is next only to former Russian leader Josef Stalin in leading his nation. Stalin ruled for 29 years.

Putin is now 72, and it would be interesting to note whether he would like to look for a suitable successor, or like to continue in the post, a decision that may eventually put him in a race on presidential tenure with Stalin.

However, while Europe, and the United States and a few other nations criticise Putin for his war on Ukraine terming his action as imperial, reports suggest that a huge majority of his people back home support his action against Ukraine.

Putin’s action, however, has attracted long-list of sanctions by European Union as well as the United States, though Russia has so far managed to withstand the economic alienation. It has in fact registered growth.

Putin in Power

Putin had been a former KGB lieutenant colonel. He was handed over the presidency by an ailing Boris Yeltsin in 1999, and served in that post upto 2008. From 2008, he served as the prime minister until 2012, and from 2012 he has been continuing as the president of Russia.

Putin inherited a disintegration of Soviet Union, and a dominant West, but over his tenure managed to respond to the West in his own ways, some times in a muscular way as it is now, attracting criticism of the world.

The Victory Day Parade

Russian President Putin will host Chinese leader Xi and other world figures at the May 9 Victory Parade in Red Square. On the evening of May 8, leaders start arriving in Moscow. Putin has declared a three-day ceasefire on Ukraine during the event, to which Ukraine has responded that it cannot guarantee the security of the world leaders during the events. Kremlin, of course has responded in its own characteristic style. The May 9 celebrations will mark parade by Russian Army as well as fireworks.

The Geo-politics

May 9 Victory Day celebrations are being held in the background of a geopolitical situation when United States President Donald Trump has upended his nation’s long-standing foreign policy with Europe. Though Washington extended hands for a deeper diplomatic relation with Moscow, and also wanting to bring about a peace-deal on Ukraine-Russia war, Putin has been going slow, so much so that Washington appears to be threatening to keep away. This renders Ukraine at the mercy of Russia though Europe is mobilising military aid to support Ukraine to withstand Russian aggression.

While present-day Germany has completely dissociated itself with Hitler’s ideology and would like to forget the phase as a bad dream, Russia wants to keep the memory alive. The Victory Day is an occasion to arouse and reinforce patriotism—which is all the more important for Russia today than it used to be a few years before.

Last year, Putin hosted BRICS Summit in Kazan city and initiated efforts to form an alternative international transaction system as well as a multilateralism—away from West-centric world order. New geopolitics and trade situations have cast a speed-breaker that Putin might like to take a feel through this celebration.

At the same time, the U.S. and the West would much like to keep a watch over what happens at the celebrations that may have the potency of global political and trade impact.