Russia is behaving increasingly nervously and panickedly. The May 9th parade in Moscow showed Putin's weaknesses. However, this does not mean that Europe can now rest easy, says Jonatan Vseviov, the Chancellor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vseviov mentioned that Putin asked for help from US President Trump. Putin wanted Ukrainian President Zelensky to allow the parade to be held in Moscow. This shows Putin's weakness, Vseviov said. There wasn’t much military equipment at the parade because a significant portion of it has been destroyed in Ukraine. Russia also didn’t want to gather all its equipment in one place.
The parade left an exhausted impression. It reflects well the situation that Putin has led Russia into. Vseviov said that the parade did not bring energy. Putin proposed a ceasefire for May 9th. Zelensky agreed but wanted the ceasefire earlier. This was a clever move because it exposed Putin’s lies. At that time, Russia was still attacking Ukrainian civilians, even a kindergarten. This showed that Putin did not want real peace. He just wanted to hold the parade.
Vseviov stated that Putin's weakness is clear. However, dictators cannot afford to show weakness. Putin must now demonstrate his weakness. This will help Ukraine and harm Russia. Russia is panicking and dangerous in the short term. But in the long term, it is clear that the 19th-century empire cannot be restored.
The question now is how quickly we can convince Putin to change his policies. So far, this has not been successful. That is why peace is not yet within reach. However, the situation is moving in the right direction, Vseviov said.
The war in Ukraine may end sooner if we act decisively. The situation in Ukraine remains difficult. Winter has passed, and hope has grown. But the war is unpredictable. Russia is behaving nervously and desperately.
Vseviov said we need to do more and faster. For example, the expansion of the European Union should be accelerated. The Hungarian government has changed, which could help. However, decision-making is still difficult.