Ukraine to designate May 8 as Victory Day against Nazis

Kyiv, May 8 (EFE).- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday called on lawmakers to designate May 8 as a Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II, moving away from the Russian tradition of commemorating the event on May 9.

“Today, I am submitting a bill to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine proposing that May 8 be the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in the Second World War of 1939-1945,” the

Ukrainian leader said in an address to the nation.

This would see Ukraine – like other European countries – celebrate the 1945 unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies on May 8.

Russians, meanwhile, celebrate the end of what they call the “great patriotic war” on May 9.

“We will not allow the joint victory of the nations of the anti-Hitler coalition to be appropriated and we will not allow lies as if the victory could have taken place without the participation of any country or nation,” Zelenskyy added.

Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine was a key part of the Soviet Union and highlighted the role of Ukrainians in the military victory over the Nazis, saying that 8 million Ukrainians died in WWII.

“We will not allow anyone to erase the role of Ukrainians in this victory, our people, that generation whose memory we cherish in almost every family,” he continued.

“We destroyed evil together! In the same way as we are now opposing a similar evil together.”

Zelenskyy’s grandfather fought the Nazis with the Red Army and survived the war but three of his brothers were killed during the Holocaust.

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