When facts are manipulated, when the aggressor dresses itself in the symbols of justice and when war crimes are paraded as heroism, the world must pay attention.
This May, the world marks 80 years since the defeat of Nazism and the end of World War II in Europe. It is a moment to honor the lives lost, the cities rebuilt and the principles that shaped the postwar order: peace, sovereignty and justice.
For Ukraine, the memory of WWII is more than historical, it is personal, lived and once again painfully relevant.
During WWII, Ukraine was among the most devastated territories. The frontline passed over it twice, first from west to east and then from east to west. An estimated 8 million Ukrainians were killed: 5 million civilians and 3 million soldiers. Ukrainians fought not only in the Red Army but also in the armies of the allies of the anti-Hitler coalition, as well as in resistance movements.
Today, that legacy is being distorted, and the principles forged in 1945 are under attack by Russia’s attempts to justify a new war of aggression.
Across Europe, May 8 is commemorated as a Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, a time to honor those who died and to reflect on the shared goal of peace. Ukraine upholds this tradition. Especially now, as it fights to defend not only its own freedom, but also the principles that once united the world against tyranny.
The Kremlin continues to manipulate the narrative of WWII. By commonly using the term “Great Patriotic War” it obscures the Soviet Union’s role as a co-aggressor in 1939.
It deliberately erases the first two years of the war, 1939 to 1941, when the Communist Soviet Union and Nazi Germany were military partners under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, under which they divided and together invaded Poland, and when the USSR also launched a war against Finland, annexed the Baltic states and parts of Romania – all before Hitler turned on Stalin in 1941.
By ignoring these historical facts, Moscow has built a mythology in which the Soviet Union is solely a liberator, erasing its shared responsibility for starting the bloodiest war in modern history.
This selective memory has become a tool of modern aggression. Russia seeks to claim exclusive ownership of the victory over Nazism and weaponizes it for modern propaganda. May 9, once a solemn day of remembrance, has been transformed into a display of militarism, where the Russian army, currently committing atrocities in Ukraine, marches through Red Square under the banner of “liberators.”
The symbolism is not only hollow, but also deeply cynical. The scale of Russian war crimes in Ukraine is staggering: executions of civilians, mass graves, rape, looting, detention of civilian hostages, torture and execution of prisoners of war, use of indiscriminate weapons, strikes on densely populated residential areas, energy and civilian infrastructure. These horrors recall the darkest chapters of the 20th century.
While the world commemorates the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation in reflection and mourning, Russia prepares for military parades. The Kremlin is inviting world leaders and foreign military personnel to participate in the May 9 parade in order to whitewash its war crimes and justify its aggression. To march side by side with them is to share responsibility for the blood of murdered Ukrainians, including children.
Even declaring the three-day "pause" to observe this pageantry is cynical. In reality, Russian air strikes on Ukrainian cities have only intensified in recent weeks, killing civilians and destroying infrastructure. The message is clear: Moscow honors neither peace nor memory.
This dissonance should concern not only Europe, but the entire international community. Historical truth is not a regional matter, it is a global responsibility. When facts are manipulated, when the aggressor dresses itself in the symbols of justice and when war crimes are paraded as heroism, the world must pay attention.
At a time when Russian missiles and drones fall on peaceful cities, we are reminded that history is repeated when ignored. As we mark eight decades since the end of World War II in Europe, let us not forget: no country has the right to claim exclusive rights on the victory over Nazism.
The price of peace was paid by millions, the victory is shared by nations and peoples across the world, many of whom suffered under both Nazi and Soviet oppression.
Commemorating the memory of World War II is not parades, but peace, justice and truth that must prevail.