“Don’t need permission”
“Stupid joke”: Kremlin sharply criticizes Zelensky before military parade
May 9, 2026 – 8:51 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
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The Kremlin reacts angrily to a decree by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He gave his “permission” for the military parade in Moscow on Friday.
The Kremlin has reacted with sharp criticism to a decree by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj regarding the military parade in Moscow. “We don’t need permission from anyone,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television on Friday before the start of the Red Square parade on Saturday.
On Friday evening, Zelensky published a decree “On holding a parade in Moscow”. In it he named the coordinates of Red Square, which should be exempt from Ukrainian attacks. The actual announcement was part of a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump, which is supposed to last until May 11th.
Peskov accused Zelensky of making fun of Russia’s Memorial Day. May 9th is celebrated in Russia as a “day of pride with tears in our eyes”. Kremlin spokesman Peskov said it was “a great misfortune” for Zelensky that he was ridiculing the event on Red Square with his “permission.”
“Victory Day” on May 9th is one of the most important holidays in Russia. On this date, the country commemorates the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
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Because of Ukrainian drone attacks in recent weeks, Russia had tightened security measures before the parades and significantly reduced their scope. This year, for the first time in years, no military vehicles will be presented. Observers see the news as a possible admission that the war against Ukraine is not going for Russia as the Kremlin had imagined. The situation is tense in Moscow and other cities; mobile internet has been restricted in many places and foreign journalists have been excluded from the parade.
Russia celebrates Victory Day on May 9th because the surrender of the German Wehrmacht on May 8th, 1945 in Moscow occurred in the early hours of the following day due to the time difference.
