These days, Vladimir Putin proclaimed a ceasefire to coincide with the Victory Parade on 9 May. A moment of celebration and remembrance for the Russian people, recalling the defeat of Nazi Germany.

But how much is there really to celebrate for Russian citizens? Nothing, today the reality is increasingly blurred. The Russian Federation, with its repression of dissent and its aggressive policies, has become what it once fought against: a threat to Europe, now on high alert for a war looming on the continent’s horizon.

Disinformation operations, threats to the West, invasions disguised as ‘Russian-speaking protection’ operations: old but still effective strategies, closely reminiscent of Nazi propaganda, reproposed today in a Russian key.

A few days after the Sumy massacre – justified by Moscow as an attack on a military event – the Russian Federation calls for a truce to celebrate a parade. It is an unjustified fear: Kyiv, so far, has pursued a strategy of targeted attacks on Russian military targets, trying to stay within the limits of international law and not to indiscriminately hit the civilian population.

On Moscow’s side, however, the same respect was not observed. The pro-Russian media often show images of intercepted drones or missiles that, in several cases, could have caused civilian casualties. So why is Putin today calling for a ceasefire? To please the United States? It is worth remembering that the 9 May parade has always been held regularly in Russia, even in years of conflict, without any particular security problems.

It is not even a question of supposed air defence superiority: the attacks that have reached the outskirts of Moscow prove it.

The last parade on 9 May had already shown signs of decadence: few modern vehicles, many light vehicles, a few Iskander-M systems, Yars RS-24 missiles, old Tigr-M, T-34 and T-85 missiles dating back to the 1950s, S-400 Triumf systems, BTR-82A and Bumerang prototypes that are not yet operational, as well as Spartak and 3-STS Akhmat armoured vehicles. In the aircraft section, there were Su-30SMs, modernised MiG-29s and Su-25s: a decidedly poor ‘red carpet’ compared to the glitz we were used to.

Today, without being able to foresee the future, we have to ask ourselves: why a ceasefire precisely in 2025? Is it an attempt to show a human face of Moscow or a strategic preparation for a possible false flag attack? Will we witness a repeat of 1999, when the attacks in Russia paved the way for the second Chechen war?

Only time will give us an answer.