Ukraine Condemns Foreign Participation in Moscow’s May 9 Parade
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a firm statement ahead of Russia’s planned May 9 military parade in Moscow, condemning any potential participation of foreign military personnel and warning it would be seen as a desecration of historical memory and complicity in Russia’s war crimes, The Gaze reports.
As Europe prepares to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazism, Ukraine reminds the international community of its immense sacrifice during World War II.
“Today, a brutal and unprovoked war of conquest is being waged against the Ukrainian people, who are among the nations that defeated Nazism and paid a terrible price for peace and freedom in Europe,” the statement reads.
The ministry highlighted the atrocities committed by the Russian army in Ukraine, emphasizing their scale is unprecedented in Europe since WWII. “The Russian army has committed and continues to commit atrocities in Ukraine on a scale Europe has not seen since the Second World War,” the statement said.
According to the MFA, during Russia’s full-scale aggression, Russian troops have committed hundreds of thousands of war crimes, killed 620 people, wounded nearly 2,000, and deported at least 20,000 Ukrainian children.
“These people are not the liberators of Europe; they are occupiers and war criminals,” the ministry added, referring to the soldiers expected to march on Red Square.
Ukraine strongly opposes any foreign participation in the parade, stating: “The participation of foreign military personnel in this spectacle is unacceptable and will be regarded by Ukraine as a desecration of the memory of the victory over Nazism.”
The ministry also warned that participation by countries claiming neutrality would amount to siding with the aggressor. “The participation of troops from such countries in a joint parade would directly violate their declared neutrality and appear as support for the aggressor state.”
Ukraine called on all nations to honor WWII victims respectfully and uphold the integrity of historical memory: “We urge all foreign states and international organizations to commemorate the victims of the Second World War in a dignified way — one that does not justify Russian aggression and atrocities against Ukrainians.”
As The Gaze previously reported, the European Commission has warned that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s potential participation in Russia’s Victory Day military parade in Moscow on May 9 would seriously damage Serbia’s European Union membership aspirations.