Putin says the West is waging a “real war” against Russia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Moscow's Red Square and in front of the Kremlin‘s famous onion domes during Tuesday’s Victory Day military parade marking the 78th anniversary of the end of World War II. Associated Press/Photo by Dmitry Astakhov, Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo

Putin says the West is waging a “real war” against Russia

The Russian president delivered the comment at a Victory Day celebration in Moscow on Tuesday, commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. The observance this year featured a smaller military presence than in years past. Only 8,000 troops took part in the parade—the lowest number since 2008. No fly-over jets appeared, and the event lasted less than an hour.

What has the West been doing about Russia lately? On Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced stricter penalties against countries helping Russia avoid Western sanctions. She said recently that third-party countries are trading certain banned goods with Russia. Also on Tuesday, the United States promised more than $1.2 billion in new military aid to Ukraine.

Dig deeper: Read Jill Nelson’s report in WORLD Magazine about the international mission to bring Russia to justice for war crimes committed in Ukraine.