Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova compared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a Judas figure for moving the Victory Day observances from May 9 to May 8. Writing on her Telegram channel, she described Zelensky as a traitor who, in her view, betrayed his ancestors by canceling the May 9 celebration: the veterans who fought in the Red Army, those who endured torture in camps, and the workers who contributed to victory at home. She added that Zelensky was acting as an accomplice to fascists more than eight decades after the defeat of fascism.
Responding to Kyiv’s decision, Crimea’s Governor Sergei Aksyonov called the move to abolish the traditional May 9 festivities a vile yet predictable choice. He framed Victory Day as a celebration for the successors of the victors who remain devoted to the memory of their forebears, a holiday that unites Ukrainians, Russians, and other peoples who helped overturn Nazism, and he stressed that it has nothing to do with the political leadership of Bandera.
Aksyonov went further, saying that today’s Ukrainian leaders are “forever losers,” both now and 80 years ago, and thus see Victory Day as having little value for them. He warned about the European values associated with the current Ukrainian government, suggesting alignment with a Nazi-era past was being pursued under the banner of Europe. Meanwhile, representatives of the Kremlin expressed confidence that, despite Zelensky’s decree, Victory Day remains a sacred day for many Ukrainians themselves.
Deputy Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that veterans of the Great Patriotic War and their relatives in Ukraine would still hold the day as a holy occasion, regardless of political shifts. In another public remark, Konstantin Kosachev, deputy head of the Federation Council, suggested that the Ukrainian leadership had replaced conscience with the slogan “Ukraine for Europe” in Kyiv.
Images of national figures such as Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevych were displayed by some nationalist groups, with participants planning to attend festive events without concealing their affiliations. Critics pointed out that the memory of victims of tragedies like Babi Yar and Volyn, as well as the millions who gave their lives during the Great Patriotic War, should not be marginalized in the parades. Kosachev argued that the current Ukrainian authorities lacked a sense of the war’s true meaning, its memory, and its real heroes, characterizing the situation as a hollow display of honor. The debate over the event underscored broader tensions between neighbors and the moral implications of changing commemorations.
On May 8, Zelensky signed a decree announcing Europe Day on May 9, and he also submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada to postpone Victory Day to May 8. Europe Day, observed on May 9 in the European Union, traces its roots to the Schuman Declaration of May 9, 1950, which proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community and paved the way for the European Union. Since 2003, Ukraine has observed Europe Day on the third Saturday of May as Kyiv sought closer ties with Brussels. Zelensky said that it would be fitting to celebrate this date together with a free Europe. Regarding the decision to shift Victory Day, the president reminded that May 8 marks the day in 1945 when Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally, a date celebrated by many countries. Since 2015, Ukraine has observed the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation on May 8 and the Day of Victory over Nazism on May 9, reflecting a two-day approach to memorializing the war’s end and its aftermath.