Welcome back to another edition of My Take 5. This week we are discussing Russia’s scaled-down May 9 parade due to fears of Ukrainian drone strikes, Poland’s massive defence investment, US & Iran playing cat and mouse with negotiations and Strait of Hormuz, Vietnam President To Lam’s state visit to India, and the massive Balikatan 2026 exercises in the Philippines. So, let’s get to it.
Russia’s scaled-back May 9th: There is growing consternation within Russia about the scaled-back May 9 celebrations this year. May 9 celebrates the joint Soviet-Western Alliance victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The celebrations were disbanded for nearly two decades after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. But Putin revived it in 2007-2008, once again linking modern-day Russia to its Soviet past. The Soviet symbolism and iconography of the celebrations make it clear that Putin pines to restore the glory of the Soviet Union. Therefore, since its revival, May 9 has been marketed as the biggest holiday in Russia.
