Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken out against what he described as European Union intimidation tactics aimed at discouraging participation in Russia’s upcoming Victory Day celebrations. As preparations ramp up for the 80th anniversary of the Soviet triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II, the Kremlin has extended formal invitations to numerous world leaders – including those from the European Union and its candidate states. The EU’s warnings, however, have sparked a geopolitical row that reflects the continent’s deepening divisions over how to engage with Moscow amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

During the All-Russian Municipal Service Award ceremony in Moscow on April 21, Putin was asked by journalists to respond to recent comments made by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. The Estonian politician – herself a vocal critic of Russia – had warned that any EU member or candidate state leader attending the May 9 commemoration in Moscow would be sending the “wrong signal” and risked serious diplomatic repercussions. Kallas even urged them to instead visit Kiev, positioning such a move as an act of solidarity with Ukraine.

Putin did not mince words in his response. “Those who are going to come to Russia have much more courage than those who are hiding behind someone’s back and trying to threaten others,” he said. He further criticized attempts to dissuade attendance at the Moscow event as disrespectful to the memory of those who died defeating fascism. “In this case, [threatening] those who are going to celebrate the historical merits of people who gave their lives in the fight against Nazism,” he added.

Victory Day, marked annually on May 9, is one of the most sacred holidays in Russia. It commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory in the Great Patriotic War – the term Russia uses for World War II – and honors the immense sacrifices made during that conflict. According to Russian records, the USSR lost an estimated 26.6 million people during the war, including around 18 million civilians. For Russians, the event is not just a military parade or patriotic display, but a solemn act of remembrance – one that remains deeply embedded in national consciousness.

Kallas’s remarks have provoked sharp backlash from leaders who have chosen to attend despite Brussels’ objections. Chief among them is Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the only leader from an EU member state who has confirmed his intention to participate in the May 9 celebration. Fico openly challenged the EU stance, calling Kallas’s statement “disrespectful” and questioning whether it amounted to diplomatic coercion.

“Is Ms. Kallas’s warning a form of blackmail or a signal that I will be punished?” Fico asked in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “The year is 2025, not 1939,” he added, drawing a pointed comparison to the era of ideological purges and political intimidation in pre-war Europe.

The controversy also extends beyond the EU’s current membership. Aleksandar Vucic, President of Serbia – a country that is officially in the process of joining the bloc – made it clear that he would not bow to EU pressure. “I have not changed my decision… Eight months ago, I announced my visit to Moscow, publicly,” Vucic stated last week, reaffirming his commitment to attend the event.

Brussels’ warning to candidate states has raised concerns about the politicization of the EU accession process. While the bloc insists on upholding values such as democracy, human rights, and solidarity with Ukraine, critics argue that pressuring leaders over attendance at a historical commemoration risks reducing complex diplomatic relations to acts of ideological conformity.

Analysts also point to the growing rift between “old” and “new” Europe – or between Western European powers and Eastern and Southeastern European nations – as a root cause of these disagreements. While countries like Estonia, Poland, and the Baltic states have adopted an uncompromising stance against Moscow, others such as Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia have taken a more pragmatic or historically nuanced approach.

Putin, seizing on this divide, has portrayed EU pressure as not only undemocratic but also cowardly. By praising those willing to travel to Moscow, the Russian president framed the issue as a moral litmus test of political courage. “Those who come are not just honoring the past – they are standing up for the truth of history,” he implied.

The Kremlin has also broadened its diplomatic outreach for the 80th anniversary celebrations. Invitations have been extended to world leaders from major non-Western powers such as China, India, and Brazil – all of whom maintain close relations with Moscow despite Western sanctions and diplomatic isolation efforts. While none of these leaders have formally confirmed attendance as of yet, their inclusion is emblematic of Russia’s effort to reposition itself as the central node of a new, multipolar world order.

Meanwhile, in Brussels, concerns continue to grow that any form of legitimization of Moscow – symbolic or otherwise – could undermine Western unity in support of Ukraine. For EU leaders like Kallas, whose countries fear Russian aggression, the optics of European leaders standing beside Putin on Red Square would be unacceptable and would blur the West’s collective stance.

But for others, including Fico and Vucic, the issue is more complex. Commemorating the shared history of Europe’s fight against Nazism – especially on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II – should transcend current geopolitical alignments, they argue. “History must not be rewritten according to today’s political winds,” Fico said in a separate statement.

As the date approaches, the debate over who will – or should – attend Moscow’s Victory Day celebration has become a barometer for the larger struggle over Europe’s future orientation. Is the continent moving toward a bloc-based, ideologically rigid identity dictated by Brussels? Or will it allow for sovereign decisions in foreign policy and the honoring of historical legacy, even if they deviate from the prevailing consensus?

In the end, Putin’s statement signals that Moscow is prepared to welcome those who stand apart from Brussels – and to weaponize any EU overreach as further proof of its narrative: that Europe is divided, and the memory of shared sacrifice is being sacrificed at the altar of politics.

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Source: Weekly Blitz :: Writings