How do Ukrainians perceive the commemoration ceremonies of May 9, 1945 in Russia? How are they reacting to parades in Moscow on Monday and Vladimir Putin’s speech defending his “homeland” as fighting continues in Ukraine? By indifference. All the people whom franceinfo questioned on Monday in the streets of kyiv had followed neither the intervention of the Russian president, nor the parades.
There is too great a gap between these festivities and the reality of what Ukrainians are going through, explains Tetiana. She was queuing for food aid: “Look, for us it’s war here! And for them, in Moscow, today, it’s a parade, it’s a party. Well, that’s unbearable!”
Ludmilla is also shocked that Vladimir Putin can parade like this while his army bombs Ukraine: “Putin must be arrested. We need an arrest warrant against him! He is someone who has violated international law since 2014, especially in the Donbass and in Crimea. He is a criminal. And today, in 2022 is even worse.”
>>War in Ukraine: follow the latest information in our live
These Ukrainians met in kyiv want their country to break away completely from Russian ideology by abandoning this date of May 9, as the day of remembrance of the end of the Second World War. “It’s over for us, the date of May 9, defend Tetiana. We Ukrainians are looking to Europe, which commemorated the end of the Second World War on Sunday, May 8.”
“We no longer want to turn to the Muscovites but to get closer to the Europeans, on the occasion of these ceremonies”.
Tetiana, resident of kyivat franceinfo
A will officially displayed by the Ukrainian authorities. A law is under study to switch this date from May 9 to May 8. Moreover, and for the first time this year, this Monday, in Ukraine, is no longer a public holiday.
May 9 parade: Russian celebrations are “unbearable”, testify the inhabitants of kyiv – The report by Agathe Mahuet and Arthur Gerbault
listen