Russia's Victory Day celebrations.

Putin speaks at Red Square during Russia's Victory Day celebrations on May 9, 2023. Gavriil Grigorov/AP  

Putin during Victory Day: "They want to destroy our country"  

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks in Red Square during the Victory Day celebrations. During the speech in Moscow, Putin accuses the West of provoking conflicts and spreading Russophobia. 

- They want to destroy our country, he says.  

According to the BBC's Moscow correspondent Will Vernon, there has been a different mood ahead of today's celebrations with a sense of nervousness and uncertainty. "This is because there have been a series of drone attacks, explosions and sabotage across the country in recent weeks," he writes.  

Russia celebrates Victory Day to commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Ahead of the celebrations, military parades have been canceled in several locations in the country, including in Belgorod, Kursk and on the Crimean peninsula, due to fears of Ukrainian attacks.   

Putin gives a speech at Red Square in Moscow. AP  

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Analysis: The speech a grotesque distortion of history 

Several foreign policy commentators react to Vladimir Putin's rhetoric during the speech at the Russian Victory Day celebration. 

Sky News' Dominic Waghorn calls Putin's speech "a grotesque perversion and distortion of history". Waghorn believes that Putin talks about the Western countries as evil globalist elitists who want to destroy Russia. 

"His image is that it is Russia against the rest of the world," he says. 

Aftonbladet's Wolfgang Hansson is on the same track and writes that Putin gives a bizarre lesson in falsification of history when he uses Russia's victory over Nazi Germany to legitimize the country's invasion of Ukraine. 

"Putin's speech shows that he has either completely lost touch with reality or is simply desperately trying to convince the Russian population with his propaganda". 

Aleksandr Lukashenko Gavriil Grigorov / AP  

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Bandaged Lukashenko quickly left Moscow - sparking health speculation  

Belarus dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko withdrew his invitation to the lunch with Putin in Moscow after the victory parade due to health reasons. This is reported independently by The Insider with reference to the Belarusian political scientist Dmitrij Bolkunet. 

Instead, Lukashenko quickly returned to Minsk. The escort to the airport was an ambulance, fueling speculation about the Belarusian president's health. 

Pictures from Tuesday's celebration at Red Square show how Lukashenko had one hand bandaged and, according to Reuters, he "looked tired and walked unsteadily." He also did not participate in the couple of minutes long walk with the Russian president and the other invited leaders to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden.  

Instead, he was allowed to travel the short distance by car after asking for it, according to Belarusian newspaper Nasha Niva.