The Ukrainian authorities have publicly appealed to states that plan to send their military to Moscow to participate in the parade on May 9. Official Kyiv emphasizes that participation in this event is unacceptable and will be regarded by Ukraine as an insult to the memory of the victory over Nazism, the memory of millions of Ukrainian front-line soldiers who liberated our country and all of Europe from Nazism eight decades ago.
Points of attention
- With a focus on honoring the victims of World War II and denouncing Russia's war crimes, Ukraine calls for solidarity in remembering the collective victory over Nazism and standing against whitewashing of atrocities.
- The article sheds light on the brutal impact of Russia's aggression on Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of not participating in an event that seeks to justify war crimes and occupation.
Ukraine asks other countries not to participate in new Russian “sabbath”
What is important to understand is that on May 8, Ukraine, along with the rest of Europe and the world, will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazism.
"We cherish the memory of World War II, which scorched every Ukrainian family. The front swept through our entire territory twice, and the total human losses of the Ukrainian people amounted to eight million dead: 5 million civilians and 3 million military personnel," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The diplomatic department recalls that more than 6 million Ukrainians fought in the ranks of the Red Army, hundreds of thousands in resistance movements and the armies of the allies of the anti-Hitler coalition.
No country in the world can ignore the fact that for over 11 years, a brutal and unprovoked war of aggression has been waged against the Ukrainian people — who are one of the victorious nations over Nazism and paid a terrible price for peace and freedom in Europe.
During this period of time, Russia has committed hundreds of thousands of war crimes, and Russian soldiers have already killed 620, wounded almost 2,000, and kidnapped at least 20,000 Ukrainian children.
Executions of civilians, mass graves, rape, looting, detention of civilian hostages, torture and execution of prisoners of war, use of indiscriminate weapons, strikes on densely populated residential areas, energy, civilian infrastructure. The Russian army has committed and continues to commit atrocities in Ukraine on a scale that Europe has not seen since World War II.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine draws attention to the fact that this army will march on Red Square in Moscow on May 9.
These soldiers can no longer be considered the liberators of Europe, because they have become occupiers and war criminals.
Marching alongside them is sharing responsibility for the blood of murdered Ukrainian children, civilians and soldiers, not celebrating the victory over Nazism. Russia is inviting foreign servicemen to participate in the May 9 parade in order to whitewash its war crimes and justify its aggression.
Ukraine and the rest of the civilized world will regard the participation of foreign military personnel in this action as an affront to the memory of the victory over Nazism, to the memory of millions of Ukrainian front-line soldiers who liberated our country and all of Europe from Nazism eight decades ago.
We call on all foreign states to refrain from the participation of their military personnel in the parade in Moscow on May 9. This especially applies to countries that declare neutrality in relation to Russian aggression against Ukraine or consistently take a neutral position in international relations. The participation of the military of such countries in a joint parade would directly violate such declared neutrality and would be seen as support for the aggressor state.
