Putin Vows No Forgiveness for Those 'Plotting New Aggressions,' Calls Russian Army 'Guarantee'
Just as Russia defended itself against the Nazis, President Vladimir Putin advised potential aggressors on Sunday, the nation won't hesitate to defend itself again, and the army stands more than ready to serve.
Yesterday Russia celebrated its victory over Nazi leader Adolf Hitler with a large military display, where Putin cautioned not to take threats lightly. Amid growing concerns about Russia's increasingly close relationship with China and tension with the West, Putin used his recent remarks as a warning to the world.
"The war brought upon us so many unbearable ordeals, grief and tears that it is impossible to forget. Those who are plotting new aggressions cannot be forgiven or justified," Putin said on Sunday.
Putin criticized those who continue to espouse Nazi ideology and the "delusional theory of their own supremacy." He noted that it isn't just "radicals and international terrorist groups" who are a threat, but "surviving members of those killing squads" who are trying to "rewrite history."
For years, the Russian president has attempted to distance the Soviet Union's actions during World War II from those of the Nazi regime. He signed a law in 2014 making distorting the country's role in World War II a criminal offense, and last week legislators introduced a bill that would ban people from equating Soviet actions with Nazi behavior.
On Sunday, he applauded the Soviet army and those who served during World War II for being a "generation of victors" and demonstrating the "ultimate heroism" during crucial battles and the "harshest times of war."
Pegging the valor of the Soviet army to today, Putin called the "descendants of the victorious troops" that serve in the Russian Armed Forces a "guarantee" in its commitment to protecting national interests.
"Our veterans, their fates and loyalty to the motherland is the example we follow," Putin said. "It is the summit that we must strive for while reaffirming the significance and the value of the great victory in our thoughts and deeds, in our present and future endeavors for the sake of our fatherland."
The relationship between the United States and Russia has long been a rocky road, and Putin didn't take kindly to President Joe Biden labeling him a "killer." As the two countries grow more distant, China and Russia appear to be growing closer, and Beijing backed Russia's issuance of a "red line" warning.
Amid international criticism of Russia's military buildup along the border with Ukraine, Putin warned Western countries that if they provoked threats to the nation's security they would "regret their deeds more than they have regretted anything in a long time." When asked about the comment, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, who sees no limit to their partnership, said in a press conference that they'll continue to support and understand Russia.
China live-streamed Sunday's parade on television, and Dmitrii Lukiantsev, minister counselor of the Russian Embassy in China, told the Global Times, a Chinese state-run media outlet, that China and Russia are "brothers" with "common interests, common feelings, [and] common goals."
