Russia’s foreign minister has denied that Russia intends to end the war in Ukraine, where Victory Day is celebrated on May 9, despite analysts predicting that the conflict will end on that date.
In an interview with the Italian mediaset television broadcast on Sunday, Sergei Lavrov said that “our army will not artificially adjust its actions on any date,” referring to the surrender to the Allies on May 9, 1945. Including the former Soviet Union.
“The pace of action in Ukraine depends, above all, on the need to reduce potential risks to civilians and the Russian military,” he added.
Russia generally celebrates Victory Day with great pomp, a large military parade in central Moscow and a speech by President Vladimir Putin praising the country’s key role in defeating fascism in Europe.
This year’s celebrations, however, are set against the backdrop of a Moscow military campaign in Ukraine, with Putin justifying the need to “tenacify” the former Soviet republic, along with other references to World War II.
“We will celebrate May 9 as we always do. We will remember those who fell for the liberation of Russia and the other republics of the former Soviet Union. [União das Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas]For Europe’s liberation from Nazi flogging, “Lavrov said.
Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine on February 24 that killed about 3,000 civilians, and the UN warns that the actual number could be much higher.
The military offensive left more than 12 million people dead, more than 5.4 million of whom fled the country, according to the latest UN data.
The Russian invasion was generally condemned by the international community, which responded by sending arms to Ukraine and strengthening economic and political sanctions on Moscow.
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