Select a language
Europe Day 9 May. No more war.
On the flag: Victory Day.
This year's Europe Day had a special character: was a peculiar one: as EU countries were celebrating the anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, the founding act of the EU, Russia commemorated Victory over Nazi Germany Day while waging a war of aggression against Ukraine.
The meagre results of the Kremlin's "special military operation", and the fierce resistance of the Ukrainians, have led to fears that the Russian president would announce a military escalation. In the end, Vladimir Putin unsurprisingly blamed his Western adversaries for the Russian aggression, citing NATO expansion and a "Western invasion of Russia" as sufficient reasons to defend the "Motherland" in eastern Ukraine in an invasion described as "necessary, timely and just".
Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday
Was this article useful? If so we are delighted! It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans. Discover our membership offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!
Russia’s attack on Ukraine: Kateryna Mishchenko in conversation with Sergey Lebedev
Two weeks after the launch of Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine, Ukrainian writer Kateryna Mishchenko – who had to flee Kyiv – shared her thoughts with our readers and with Sergey Lebedev, a veteran Putin opponent.
Go to the event >