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Over a quarter-century in power, President Vladimir Putin has used Russia's Victory Day parade to show off its military might, accentuate his dominance, and deliver belligerent narratives on World War II and the current geopolitical landscape, often suggesting that Moscow is fighting off a threat from the West that mirrors that of Nazi Germany.
Last May 9, marking 80 years since Nazi Germany's defeat, Putin watched from a grandstand in front of Lenin's Tomb as soldiers marched and gun-turreted military vehicles, truck-mounted missiles, and other heavy weapons rolled across Red Square.
Even given the fact that Putin made scant mention of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in his 10-minute address in 2025, focusing on a long-ago war in which Moscow was a winner rather than an ongoing conflict in which it is suffering massive casualties while gaining little ground, this year seems certain to be different.
