Putin’s speech was much shorter than in previous years. Putin’s main appeal was directed at the Russian people at home, urging them to do their part to secure victory in Ukraine and to accept the sacrifices that this would entail. Putin only briefly mentioned the attacks in Ukraine.
From a historical perspective, it is noteworthy that, in Putin’s view, World War II did not begin until Hitler’s Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941. This means that the first two years of the war—and thus also the Russian attacks on Finland and Poland—are not part of Russian historiography. Russia now also sees itself as the sole vanquisher of the Third Reich. Unlike in previous years, Putin omitted any mention of the Allies’ contributions.