Russia Celebrates Victory Day And Claims It Is Defending Its Sovereignty
Europe celebrates Europe Day for peace and unity
It’s hard not to get war fatigue and to be frustrated with those in power in how they are handling the war. Blinken of the US claims that Ukraine has what it needs to win the war, but we are talking bare basics rather than to be fully equipped. Guterres of the UN has pretty much stated the obvious that there can be no peace talks as each side believes they can win the war. Ukraine are defending themselves and are not out to win, but to retain and reclaim their land.
As for the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the Russians are blocking ships again because they haven’t got what they wanted which is for sanctions to be lifted. That’s the only reason they agreed to the deal and they haven’t been honouring it for months since the West have added sanctions to the list rather than to lift any.
Then we have the EU and NATO membership issues where Ukraine has been openly welcomed to join, but there isn’t anything official as yet to state that they will join both alliances.
Meanwhile, other nearby countries are concerned about their economies and have halted Ukrainian imports of some goods, but still support Ukraine in their bid to join NATO and the EU, and continue to supply weapons. Somehow, it’s as if the countries cannot think ahead and if a world war breaks out outside of Ukraine, then protecting domestic goods is going to be way down the list of important things to deal with.
Day 439 (8 May)
The day before Russia celebrates Victory Day, it launched another wave of drone and missile attacks across Ukraine, including Kyiv. This was the fourth attack in eight days as Russians fear the expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.
In Odesa, the Red Cross 1,000 square metre warehouse was targeted and destroyed, thus depriving thousands of people the necessary humanitarian aid they need.
Ukrainian soldiers have completed further military training in Lithuania, and will now train other soldiers in Ukraine.
Russia is again targeting Uzbek and Tajik migrant workers to be conscripted into the Russian army.
Day 440 (9 May)
In a scaled back Russian Victory Day celebration, Putin used the event to claim that Russia was again having to defend its sovereignty, and claimed that Russia defeated the Germans (Nazis) alone without the help of the allies which is untrue.
Putin again blames the West and accuses them of trying to destroy Russia, again with no evidence.
In Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen visited Kyiv and Zelenskyy again on Europe Day, which Ukraine will adopt and 8 May (VE Day) will be a Day of Remembrance.
Among the discussions with von der Leyen was the issue of EU membership, implementing further sanctions, and the need for more ammunition faster.
A summit for the 37 countries of the Core Group was held online to discuss the setting up of the Special Tribunal for the Russian crimes of aggression. We know these crimes have occurred and we know that Russia must be held accountable, but in this day and age it is still difficult to find a way to do this it seems. It needs to be done, and then it may act as a deterrent when Russians know that they will be punished.
Guterres the Secretary General of the UN has stated that he has effectively failed by saying peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are unlikely. Of course Ukraine hope to retake what is theirs, that’s the point of defending your land!
This was a Russian invasion against international law and the UN charter, but I do not see Russia at the moment, willing to withdraw from the territories. It occupies, and I think that Ukraine is hoping to retake them. (Guterres in El Pais)
Poland has transferred 10 Soviet era MiG jets to Ukraine. However, more are needed to be effective at this stage of the war.
In occupied Mariupol, Russians have demolished buildings so that people cannot return to claim their land, and those who remain are to be mobilised as conscripts to fight against Ukraine by August. That’s why people should have evacuated when they could rather than to stay and hope for the best.
Estonia shows its support for Ukraine by displaying a poster ‘Putin — war criminal’ on the side of a castle in Narva which can be seen in the Russian city of Ivangorod which is on the border of the two cities.
Day 441 (10 May)
The 72nd Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade of Russia have left Bakhmut which confirms what the Wagner group have said—that Russian troops have been fleeing Bakhmut.
The European People's Party (EPP) has adopted a resolution calling on NATO to formally invite Ukraine to join after the summit in Vilnius in July.
The French parliament has approved a motion to consider the Russian Wagner mercenary group as a terrorist organisation. This would make it illegal for people to join the group and those who do would face serious consequences in their home countries.
The so-called evacuation from Zaporizhzhia has led to people being moved to Russian controlled areas, and some have been evacuated to remote parts of Russia. This appears to be an attempt to deport people under the guise of an evacuation.
Ukraine has condemned the participation of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in the Russian Victory Day parade.
Unbelievable, certainly for those of us who were around at the time, for Putin to claim Russia ALONE defeated the German Nazis and to accuse the west of now trying to destroy Russia.