"Prepare for a Prolonged War": Putin's speech was analyzed in ISW for May 9
This conclusion was reached by analysts of the American Institute for War Study (ISW) in its report, published on May 9. Putin stated in his annual address dedicated to the victory of the USSR over Nazi Germany on May 9 that "a real war was resolved against Russia" and that Russia gave it repeatedly to international terrorism and continue to "protect" Donbass residents. At the same time, Putin said that the West was leading a global "war" against Russia.
"Putin had previously called the Russian military campaign in Ukraine" war ", but this rhetoric, regardless of whether it is deliberate recognition of the scale of hostilities or not, was not accompanied by any changes in the Kremlin approach to the" special military operation ",-it reads report.
It is noteworthy that the Russian president also refused to use recent noticeable events, such as his annual New Year's appeal or his appeal to the Federal Assembly in February 2023 to offer a specific vision of how to bring back the failures of the Russian military in Ukraine or rethink the war.
Instead, Putin used these events to strengthen ancient rhetorical lines aimed at preparing the Russian public for a protracted war in Ukraine, causing in memory of the events of World War II and without urging Russian society to support complete mobilization, American analysts write. He tried to use the Victory Day celebration to unite CIS partners, many of which sought to reduce their dependence on the Kremlin since February 2022.
"The Russian President emphasized the importance of the participation of the CIS countries in this event and repeated the Kremlin's template rhetoric that Russia seeks multipolar world order," the report said. According to analysts, Putin's recent efforts to unite the CIS countries were muted by the unwillingness of several Central Asian leaders to participate in the parade.
It is noteworthy that self -proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko did not join the rest of the leaders at the wreath -laying ceremony. Lukashenko also did not make his traditional speech on May 9 in Minsk, the reason was not quite clear. "Other" non -watery "states have mostly rejected the Kremlin's attempts to create a potential anti -Western coalition, especially China, which is increasingly moving away from Russia," American analysts say.
ISW believes that degradation of Russian military power in Ukraine probably made these Russian efforts even less attractive to other countries. The parade in Moscow demonstrated much less military equipment than usual (including only one T-34 of the Second World War and no modern tank that Russia is in dire need in Ukraine), and showed further degradation The Victory Day is by reducing the number of parades and the direct cancellation of measures.
As focus wrote earlier, several leaders of the post -Soviet republics came to the parade. Putin's company was noticed by the Presidents of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, as well as the premiere of Armenia and self -proclaimed President of Belarus. On May 9, Focus published the main theses from President Vladimir Putin's solemn speech. The Russian leader once again declared the "war with the West" and praised the participants of the Russian-Ukrainian war.
In addition, it was reported that the air part of the military parade on Red Square was canceled without explanation. Only one museum Soviet tank of the Second World War T-34 and several modern infantry combat vehicles and missile systems drove along Red Square. We will remind, during the parade on May 9 in the Russian Federation 3 unmanned aircraft were shot down.