Russian president Vladimir Putin has praised Russian unity over what the Kremlin refers to as its special operation in Ukraine during a rare public speech in the Moscow stadium that hosted the 2018 World Cup final.
“The country hasn’t seen unity like this in a long time,” said Mr Putin. He addressed a large flag-waving crowd on Friday from a stage decked out with slogans such as “For a world without Nazism” and “For our President”.
The event officially marked the eighth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, but many of the speeches were intended to rally the country behind the invasion of Ukraine. Moscow police said more than 200,000 people were in and around the Luzhniki Stadium.
Many were seen waving flags emblazoned with the letter Z, which has gone from a military marking to the main symbol of public support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As Mr Putin was finishing his speech, the broadcast suddenly ceased and state television showed patriotic songs performed earlier in the day by the popular Russian musician Oleg Gazmanov. Soon afterwards, Mr Putin’s speech, which lasted about five minutes, was re-aired from the start, with the Russian leader ending his address and walking off stage.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov blamed a technical failure for the glitch. One attendee said Mr Putin left the stage after his speech, with no interruptions having taken place.
The president sought to justify his actions during his speech by repeating claims that Ukraine was committing genocide in the Donbas region. “This really was genocide. Stopping that was the goal of the special operation,” said Mr Putin, adding – contrary to evidence – that Ukrainian civilians had welcomed Moscow’s invading troops.
Mr Putin went on to say the Ukraine invasion was necessary because the United States was using the country to threaten Russia. He also hailed the actions of the military fighting in Ukraine by paraphrasing a bible phrase: “There is no greater love than giving up one’s soul for one’s friends.”
Before he spoke, Russia’s national anthem was played along with more modern pop hits. Mr Putin’s favourite Russian band, Lyube, sang patriotic songs about war, sacrifice and the honour of those fighting for Russia.
Pan-Slavist poetry by Fyodor Tyutchev, whose verses warned Russians that Europeans would consider them slaves of the Enlightenment, was read out.
In the run-up to the rally, Reuters and severeal Russian outlets reported that state employees had been ordered to attend. – Guardian