EditPutin’s 9 May parade: spotlight on EU defectors
Putin's propaganda undermines the solemn remembrance of Soviet soldiers' sacrifices during World War II.
Ignoring the EU’s calls to boycott the event, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, and Milorad Dodik, leader of Bosnia’s Republika Srpska, are set to attend Russia’s 9 May 2025 Victory Day parade in Moscow, the annual highpoint of displaying Russia’s military might and national prowess.
Vladimir Putin’s Russia has reshaped the 9 May Victory Day parade, commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, into a near-sacred spectacle that glorifies the nation’s military power and nationalist fervor. Under Putin’s leadership, the annual event in Moscow’s Red Square has evolved from a historical remembrance into a grandiose display of state propaganda, blending reverence for the Great Patriotic War with a cult-like celebration of Russia’s modern might.
Regardless of Russian propaganda, the Soviet Union’s critical role in defeating Nazi Germany and the immense sacrifices it endured during World War II remain undeniable. The USSR bore a staggering human and material cost, with millions of lives lost and widespread devastation, while its military efforts on the Eastern Front were pivotal in turning the tide against the Third Reich.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, an EU-aspiring nation that Putin’s propaganda falsely portrays as a Nazi regime requiring defeat akin to Hitler’s Germany, clearly undermines the solemn remembrance of Soviet soldiers’ sacrifices during World War II.
EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas warned on 10 April 2025 that leaders attending the Moscow event would trigger “serious consequences” for EU candidate countries. She urged leaders to visit Kyiv instead on that date, to show solidarity with Ukraine.
However, her call was largely undermined when the prime minister of EU member Slovakia, Robert Fico, said he would be going to Moscow, dismissing her remarks as “disrespectful” and an affront to Slovakia’s sovereignty. Fico frames the visit as a tribute to World War II sacrifices, dismissing criticism that it bolsters Russia’s narrative amid its aggression in Ukraine.
To add insult to injury, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic not only said that he would go to Moscow, but announced that for the first time, its troops will march alongside the Russian army on the Red Square.
Similarly, Milorad Dodik, the leader of Republika Srpska, the Serbian entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, announced that he would attend the 9 May parade, his move underscoring his reliance on Russian support amid Bosnia’s political crisis. Facing two federal arrest warrants and a February 2025 conviction for defying international peace envoy Christian Schmidt, Dodik is increasingly defiant.
Dodik claimed on 19 April, as Vecernje Novosti reported, that the UK deployed 40 soldiers to assassinate him, a claim hard to believe and difficult to verify. His laws barring state-level judicial and police operations in Republika Srpska and plans for a RS border police threaten Bosnia’s sovereignty and EU integration, risking broader Balkan instability.
Vucic appeared to speak for the others when he said: “We will face pressure, but we honor our commitments.”
The EU’s leverage over Slovakia, a member state, is limited compared to candidate countries. The European Commission reminded Slovakia of a 2022 Council decision to avoid Russian political events, with spokesperson Peter Hipper stating on 16 April: “Slovakia is bound by this commitment to not legitimise Russia’s actions.” Germany’s outgoing foreign minister warned that Slovakia’s actions undermine EU unity, urging stronger coordination. Ukraine’s foreign ministry condemned the leaders’ attendance as “a direct endorsement of Russia’s aggression.”
However, Fico’s insistence highlights member states’ autonomy in foreign policy, exposing fractures in EU unity.
Serbia’s participation, meanwhile, would hardly help progress its EU membership talks, ongoing since 2012. Belgrade’s liberty not to align with EU sanctions against Russia and its reliance on Russian gas and military equipment have raised concerns in Brussels and in EU capitals. Adding to these concerns is the appointment of anti-EU figures like Minister of Information Boris Bratina, known for having notably burned an EU flag.
The EU keeps demanding greater alignment with its foreign policy, but Vucic’s dual-track approach – balancing Moscow and Brussels – persists.
As the EU struggles to maintain unity among its members, the European Commission’s ability to ensure that candidate countries’ foreign policies align with Brussels’ objectives faces yet another setback.
With agencies, edited by P.P.P.
Updated: April 28, 2025 - 04:50
