Ukraine is taking another step to break away from Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Monday, May 8, to submit to Parliament a bill declaring May 8 as “Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism”. Russia historically commemorates this victory on May 9.
On this anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Ukraine continues to distinguish itself and to come closer to the memorial approach in force in Europe. The country will renounce all commemoration of the victory over Nazi Germany on May 9, in accordance with Soviet and Russian tradition, in the countries of the former USSR since 1945.
Ukraine will now celebrate this day on May 8 with “ the free world “, announced Monday, May 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky. The commemorations of May 8, it is the story of our people, of our allies, of the free world. Today we give it back to our people Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address on the occasion of the celebration of the end of the Second World War, fifteen months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the worst military conflict in Europe since 1945.
This speech comes on the occasion of the worldwide celebrations of May 8 and on the eve of a great military parade in Moscow, supposed to exalt the Russian patriotic feeling, in which Vladimir Putin will participate.
It is on May 8 that most nations of the world remember the greatness of the victory over the Nazis. The world admires all those who were protecting and protected life. Who threw down the Nazi flags on the liberated territory and who opened the gates of the concentration camps.…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 8, 2023
Celebrate Europe
Volodymyr Zelensky also indicated that he had signed a decree on the establishment of a “ europe day on May 9. Western countries mark the anniversary of the German surrender on May 8, but Moscow has always held back the date of 9 due to time zone difference.
” Every year, starting tomorrow, May 9, we will celebrate our historical unity, the unity of all Europeans who destroyed Nazism and who will defeat [la Russie, NDLR] continued the Ukrainian head of state. ” Today, like 80 years ago, Ukraine is fighting total evil. Today, like 80 years ago, we relied on the joint strength of free peoples and we know that we will always be part of a free Europe that will never submit to evil “, he added.
Since 2015, the practice has been to let Ukrainians choose their day of celebration, May 8 or May 9, according to their family or memorial traditions. In fact, in recent years, the use of May 9 celebrations in Ukraine had already been massively neglected, reports our correspondent in kyiv, Stephane Siohan.
Kiev had begun to break away from Soviet-style celebrations some 15 years ago when the term ‘Great Patriotic War’, still in use in Moscow, gave way to ‘World War II’ in official speeches. .
This trend was reinforced with the “de-Sovietization” put in place by Kiev after Moscow’s annexation in 2014 of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, followed by a war in the East against pro-Russian separatists.
► To listen also: International press review – commemorations of May 8 and 9 against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine
(And with AFP)