Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day speech to denounce Nato, as he presided over a dramatically scaled-back parade in Moscow on Saturday.
Addressing the crowd at the annual parade, which marks the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War, the Russian leader claimed he was confident of victory in Ukraine.
“Victory has always been and will be ours,” he said, as he hailed Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
“They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the whole bloc of Nato. And despite this, our heroes move forward.”
Volodymyr Zelensky issued a decree "permitting" Russia to hold the Victory military parade and said his forces wouldn’t target Red Square, after Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire.
Putin attempted to use his speech, which lasted less than 10 minutes, to project strength, claiming Russia would succeed in the Ukraine war thanks to its “moral strength, courage and valour”.
But the parade was a far cry from past years, where it has been used to show off Russia's vast military, including its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles.
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The ceasefire in the war between Ukraine and Russia will not extend past three days, despite Donald Trump’s wishes, a Kremlin aide has said.
Yuri Ushakov said on Saturday that the agreement is meant to last for three days, not for longer.
It comes after Trump told reporters: “I'd like to see a big extension.”
The US president said he hoped the ceasefire was “the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought war”.
Oldest living World War Two veteran attends Victory Day parade
The oldest living veteran of World War Two is in attendance at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia.
Kirill Semyonov is 103 years old, TASS news agency reported.
He was seated next to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Victory Day celebrated in the Donetsk region of Russian-controlled Ukraine
Kremlin says there is a very long way to peace deal with Ukraine – report
Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has admitted there is a very long way to go before a peace deal is reached with Ukraine, Russia news agency Tass has reported.
A three-day ceasefire in the war between Moscow and Kyiv kicked off today.
Putin lays flowers at Tomb of Unknown Solider
Russian leader Vladimir Putin and other foreign leaders laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial outside the Kremlin walls
EU purchases from Russia’s largest natural gas field hit record £3bn
The European Union bought a record amount of gas from Russia's largest natural gas project in the first four months of the year as the Iran war pushes Europe back towards the fuel it has been trying to phase out.
The EU received 91 cargoes from Russia's Yamal LNG project between January and April, totalling 6.69 million tonnes – the highest volume for that period since the project was launched in December 2017, according to new analysis of shipping data published on Thursday by environmental group Urgewald.
The bloc paid an estimated €3.88bn (£3.25bn) for the gas over the four months, based on benchmark market prices.
More here.
EU purchases from Russia’s largest natural gas field hit record £3bn
The bloc paid an estimated £3.25bn for gas from Yamal LNG projectAlisha Rahaman Sarkar
In pictures: Russia marks Victory Day with parades across country
North Korean troops march in Victory Day parade for first time
For the first time in history, North Korean troops have taken part in Russia’s Victory Day parade.
In a tribute to the soldiers sent to fight alongside Moscow forces against Ukrainians in Russia's Kursk region, North Korean servicemen also marched on Saturday.
Pyongyang sent around 14,000 troops to fight with Russian forces in Kursk.
South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials said those troops suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in the fighting.
Zelensky vows to defend European future on 'Europe Day'
As the Victory Day parade commenced in Russia, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky shared a post on social media to commemorate Europe Day.
He said on X: "Today is Europe Day. And Ukraine marks it not formally or with banners, but truly knowing that we are already an inseparable part of the European family.
"We defend Ukraine, our independence, our future, and thereby we in Ukraine defend our Europe, a part of which Ukraine has been and will be."
Russia's Victory Day parade concludes with aerial flypast
Russia's Victory Day parade this morning concluded with an aerial flypast of military aircraft over Moscow.
The display included the 'Kuban Diamond' formation, which saw Su-30 and MiG-29 fighter jets flying close range, according to Russian Today.
Six Su-25 attack aircraft released colored smoke in the white, blue and red of the Russian flag across the capital to conclude the parade.
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