Putin Rants Against American ‘Exceptionalism,’ Claims WWII Win for Russia in ‘Victory Day’ Speech

"Putin railed against American “exceptionalism” and “moral degradation” on Monday during the country’s annual “Victory Day” parade, celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany that Moscow claims for itself. The Putin regime has for years denied any significant American contributions to ending World War II – going as far as to declare the legendary D-Day landing of American troops at Normandy “not a game-changer” – instead giving all the credit for the fall of Adolf Hitler to the communist Soviet Union under mass murderer Joseph Stalin. Russia marks its contributions to World War II on May 9 with an annual military parade and remarks from Putin. This year, the leader used his remarks to justify the ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, calling it “the only correct choice” and accusing anti-Russian forces in the country of being “Nazis.” MS