Celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War were used to reinforce Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal authority and militaristic agenda, recasting Russia’s war against Ukraine as a continuation of heroism from World War II. Ukraine rejected Putin’s three-day ceasefire initiative throughout the celebrations as a political ploy and instead invited Western leaders to Kyiv to reinforce European support for Ukraine’s war effort. People’s Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping’s high-profile visit to Moscow emphasized strong PRC-Russia ties, but diverging approaches to their relationships with the United States expose underlying tensions between Moscow and Beijing.
Putin Uses Victory Day Spectacle to Mask War Fatigue and Court Partners – Jamestown
