On the eve of the traditional May 9 parade in Russia, Kiev announced that Ukraine would no longer commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany on the 9th, but on the 8th with “the free world”. May 9 will now be “Europe Day”.
Ukraine will forego any commemoration of the victory over Nazi Germany on May 9 in accordance with Soviet and Russian tradition, and will henceforth celebrate this day on May 8 with “the free world”, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday.
The May 8 commemorations, “this is the story of our people, of our allies, of the free world. Today we return it to our people”, declared Volodymyr Zelensky in a video address on the occasion of the celebration of the end of the Second World War, fifteen months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the worst military conflict in Europe since 1945.
He said Monday to submit to Parliament a bill declaring May 8 as “Day of memory and victory over Nazism in the Second World War”.
Volodymyr Zelensky also indicated that he had signed a decree establishing a “Europe Day” on May 9.
The filigree Russian parade
Western countries mark the anniversary of the German surrender on May 8, but Moscow has always kept the date of May 9 due to a difference in time zones.
“Every year, starting tomorrow, May 9, we will celebrate our historic unity, the unity of all Europeans who destroyed Nazism and who will defeat (Russia)”, continued the Ukrainian head of state.
“Today, like 80 years ago, Ukraine is fighting against total evil,” he added. “Today, like 80 years ago, we relied on the joint strength of free peoples and we know that we will always be part of a free Europe that will never submit to evil.”
This speech comes on the occasion of the world celebrations of May 8 and on the eve of a large military parade in Moscow supposed to exalt the Russian patriotic feeling, in which Vladimir Putin will participate.
Since 2015, Ukrainian commemorations have taken place not only on May 9 but also on May 8, called “Day of Memory and Reconciliation”, as a sign of rapprochement with European tradition.
Kyiv had begun to break away from Soviet-style celebrations some 15 years ago when the term ‘Great Patriotic War’, still in use in Moscow, gave way to ‘World War II’ in official speeches. .
This trend was reinforced with the “de-Sovietization” put in place by Kiev after the annexation by Moscow, in 2014, of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea (south) followed by a war in the East against pro-Russian separatists. .
