Putin Swears He Wants to Avoid a Global Conflict

(NationRise.com) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a May 9 speech at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow that he would make considerable efforts to avoid a global conflict. However, he told attendees that Russia would respond against any threat from Western powers, claiming that the Russian Armed Forces are currently on “alert” and ready to counterattack any aggression.

Putin’s presence at the event was surprising for many, as some journalists and political analysts suggested that the appearance of the Russian leader was improbable. Victory Day is one of the most important national events in Russia as it celebrates the victory of the country over Nazi Germany during World War II in what was considered the most brutal battleground in the armed conflict.

In another part of his speech, Putin said that the event was important to highlight the way Western powers have forgotten some of the main lessons of the war against the Third Reich. He also claimed that the world must remember that Russia is a military superpower that could battle against any country, just like it did against Nazi Germany at the battles of Leningrad and Stalingrad.

The Russian leader delivered his speech at a moment when his country is still struggling to win the war against Ukraine after invading the country in February 2022. While Russian troops have recently conquered some towns, they still haven’t been able to take the country and remove Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from power, which intelligence agencies initially predicted would happen in just a couple of days.

Following the speech on Victory Day, the Kremlin announced major changes in the government. One of these was the firing of Russia’s Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu, which many Western journalists said was going to happen sooner than later as Putin was allegedly blaming him for the lack of significant results in Ukraine.

Shortly after, another top Russian Defense Ministry official, 55-year-old Lt. Gen. Yury Kuznetsov, was arrested and charged with bribery. He is currently in jail awaiting an investigation into the allegations.