Russia Kremlin criticizes Zelenskyi's "stupid joke" about military parade
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi's decree "authorizing" the Russian military parade on Red Square in Moscow has been met with criticism.
09.05.2026, 08:13
SDA
"We don't need anyone's permission," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television before the start of the annual parade on May 9 to mark the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. "Woe betide anyone who tries to make fun of Victory Day and make such stupid jokes," he said.
Zelenskyi had published a decree on Friday "On holding a parade in Moscow" with the coordinates of Red Square to be exempt from Ukrainian attacks. The decree was accompanied by a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump, which is to apply until May 11. Until this morning, there were no official reports of violations of this agreement - Russia has been waging its war of aggression against Ukraine for more than four years.
Kremlin: Russia is proud of Victory Day
Peskov described it as a "great misfortune" for Zelenskyi to behave in this way. Victory Day is celebrated in large parts of the former Soviet Union as a "day of pride with tears" in the eyes. The country had lost more than 27 million people in the liberation of Europe from the dictatorship under Adolf Hitler. "We don't need anyone's permission to be proud of our Victory Day," said Peskov.
Following massive Ukrainian drone attacks in recent days and weeks, the Russian leadership had decided to hold the parade this year without military technology. Kremlin leader Putin accepts the parade with thousands of soldiers - and gives a speech. The security situation in Moscow, as in other cities in the country where victory parades are also held, is extremely tense. In many places, the population is blocked from using the mobile internet.
The surrender of the German Wehrmacht in Berlin on May 8, 1945 fell in Moscow in the early hours of May 9. This is why Russia always celebrates Victory Day on this date.
