Vladmir Putin, President of Russia, has justified his decision to invade Ukraine during the country’s annual Victory Day Parade that was held on Monday.

While addressing all Russian military officers during the occasion, Putin said the invasion became necessary when it was clear Russia needed to defend itself against NATO and Ukraine, its neighbouring threat. 

“The defence of our motherland when its destiny was at stake has always been sacred. It was the feeling of true patriotism that Minin and Pozharsky’s militia stood up for the fatherland, soldiers went on the offensive at the Borodino Field and fought the enemy outside Moscow and Leningrad, Kiev and Minsk, Stalingrad and Kursk, Sevastopol and Kharkov,” Putin’s address read.

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Russia, like the rest of Europe, celebrated the conclusion of World War II on May 9.

“Today, as in the past, you are fighting for our people in Donbass, for the security of our motherland, for Russia,” Putin said.

Putin insisted that Russia had always advocated the establishment of an equal and indivisible security system.

“Last December, we proposed signing a treaty on security guarantees. Russia urged the west to hold a honest dialogue in search for meaningful and compromising solutions, and to take account of each other’s interests. All in vain. NATO countries did not want to heed us, which means they had totally different plans. And we saw it,” Putin said.

“Another punitive operation in Donbass, an invasion of our historic lands, including Crimea, was openly in the making. Kiev declared that it could attain nuclear weapons. The NATO bloc launched an active military build-up on the territories adjacent to us.

“Thus, an absolutely unacceptable threat to us was steadily being created right on our borders. There was every indication that a clash with neo-Nazis and Banderites backed by the United States and their minions was unavoidable.”

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Putin claimed that Russia saw the military infrastructure, foreign advisors’ work and regular supplies of cutting-edge weaponry being delivered from NATO countries as a threat.

“The threat grew every day,” he said.”Russia launched a pre-emptive strike at the aggression. It was a forced, timely and the only correct decision. A decision by a sovereign, strong and independent country.”

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The Russian president insisted that the Russian army was fighting a “righteous war”, and ended his address with words of encouragement for the Russian troops in Ukraine.

“I am addressing our Armed Forces and Donbass militia. You are fighting for our Motherland, its future, so that nobody forgets the lessons of World War II, so that there is no place in the world for torturers, death squads and Nazis,” he said.