Russia’s Putin urges unity as he presides over slimmed down Victory Day

President Vladimir Putin told Russians on Saturday they are invincible when they stand together as he presided over celebrations of victory in World War Two that were slimmed down because of the coronavirus outbreak.

“Our veterans fought for life and against death, and we will always try to live up to their spirit of unanimity and resilience,” Putin said after laying a bouquet of red roses at the Eternal Flame war memorial near the Kremlin.

“We are united by our shared memory, hopes and aspirations, as well as a sense of shared responsibility for the present and the future. We know and strongly believe that when we stand together, we are invincible.”