Maria Podzolko, the director of Selfie, a restaurant awarded a Michelin star last year, said that some of the exuberance had gone - and wine prices had risen sharply as there was not yet enough domestic production. In one elite Moscow restaurant, there was a sense of foreboding mixed with a nascent confidence that Russia would endure - and even use the crisis as an opportunity to thrive long term. Ukraine and the West say Russia launched an unprovoked war of aggression. Putin says he launched what he calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine to prevent the West from using Ukraine to threaten Russia and to root out people he calls dangerous nationalists. Putin has railed in recent years at what Moscow sees as attempts in the West to revise the history of World War Two to belittle the Soviet victory. The Soviet Union - made up of Russia, Ukraine and other Soviet republics - lost 27 million people in World War Two, more than any other country. Victory Day is a major public holiday in Russia these days. "For me, this is a very strong psychological blow, and almost all of my inner circle is experiencing the same thing," said Evgenia, who mentioned many "for sale" signs in her area of Moscow. One man, Dmitry, spoke of the "constant tension" of the situation while a woman called Evgenia said the conflict had been a blow. Russian officials say Western media have reported an excessively pro-Ukrainian version of the conflict while ignoring Moscow's concerns. Russian opposition activists say that state-run media give a partial account of the conflict and independent media have been stifled. Opinion polls show most Russians support the military operation and that Putin's approval rating has risen more than 14 percentage points to 81.5% since the start of the military operation. "In Russia as a whole, there is a lot of cohesion now among the masses in connection with these events: what I can say is that patriotism is growing," said Larisa, in Moscow's affluent Patriarshiye Ponds area. They have their own information war going on now."īut Larisa, who like several others spoke on condition that her surname was not used, also said patriotism was rising in Russian society. "Of course, it is very difficult to communicate with them now - very difficult. "Emotionally it affects you because I have two sisters living in Ukraine," said Larisa, one Muscovite who spoke to Reuters.
Some Russians said they were anxious and emotional given the close family ties between the two biggest eastern Slav populations now divided by conflict. 24 have tipped Russia towards its worst economic crisis since the years following the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, though the Kremlin says it will build up its own production while seeking new markets in Asia. The sanctions imposed by Western nations since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. The picture below shows Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, leaving Red Square after the Victory Day military parade.May 8 (Reuters) - Moscow residents appeared anxious but resilient as the country prepared on Sunday for its annual commemoration of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany with an economy reeling from the West's most stringent economic sanctions in modern times.Īs Russia's military operation in Ukraine grinds towards the end of its third month, President Vladimir Putin will underscore the enormous sacrifices made by the Soviet Union to defeat Adolf Hitler in World War Two in a Victory Day speech in Red Square on Monday. Huge convoys of tanks and armored military vehicles rolled around Moscow, but military flyovers were canceled because of adverse weather, according to the Kremlin. We have respect for all people and cultures."
spoke after the fall of the Soviet Union about exceptionalism, but we are a different country with a different character. The decision for this special military operation was forced and was the only correct decision," he added.
"Ukraine is receiving the most modern weaponry from NATO. and its partners are working with," Putin said. We are talking about neo-Nazis in Ukraine that the U.S.
" NATO is actively pursuing our territory. He said that the West was "preparing for the invasion of our land, including Crimea," and that the Ukraine war which he calls a "special military operation," was needed and the right decision. Speaking at the parade, Putin blamed the West for the war in Ukraine, which began after Russia invaded its neighbor on February 24. Thousands of military units and personnel paraded through Red Square on Monday. The May 9 celebration and holiday falls a day after Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) is celebrated in Western Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin led a huge military parade through the streets of Moscow on Monday in Russia's annual celebration of "Victory Day," marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.
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