Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and drawn parallels with the Red Army’s fight against Nazi troops in the Second World War and Russia's military action in Ukraine.

Speaking at a military parade on Monday marking victory over Germany in 1945, Mr Putin slammed NATO and the West, blaming them in unfounded claims for deploying troops and weaponry to Ukraine, and declaring Moscow's invasion was a preemptive move to ward off aggression.

He justified what the Kremlin calls a “special military operation” as “the forced, timely and only correct decision" in order to defend Russia’s sovereignty. Drawing a link with Russia's fight against fascism 77 years ago and its invasion of Ukraine, Putin praised the country's soldiers, declaring "the death of every soldier and officer is a tragedy to us".

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