Putin’s Victory Day speech shows how Russia can be defeated – and how Ukraine can win

The Russian president surprisingly downplayed his usual false and disgusting comparisons between supposed Ukrainian 'neo-Nazis' and Hitler’s Nazis in his speech at the country 's Victory day celebration, says the writer. – AP

WHEN Vladimir Putin stood on a Red Square podium on May 9, at the annual celebration of the Soviet victory in World War II over Nazi Germany, he looked weak and defensive.

Putin didn’t use his speech, as many were expecting, to formally declare war on Ukraine. He didn’t call for a mass mobilisation, or repeat threats to use nuclear weapons. Nor did he talk of Russian “victories” in Ukraine.