On 9 May every year, Russia celebrates Victory Day, putting on a large parade in honour of the country’s victory over Nazi Germany 79 years ago - in what remains an important symbol of the country’s national identity.
Russia only had one tank on display during its Victory Day parade this year.
Every year, Moscow wraps itself in patriotic pageantry for Victory Day, a celebration of its victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War.
Today marks the 79th anniversary and Mr Putin addressed the parade in the Red Square, talking up his country’s military capabilities in a speech aimed as much at a foreign audience as a domestic one.
Vladimir Putin used his Victory Day speech this year to try and warn Russia’s combat forces were “always ready” but admitted the country was going through a “difficult period”.
NATO is a defence alliance, the world bank was made to rebuild Europe, the IMF was designed to keep currencies of members stable, and the EU was made to keep France and Germany (and later Italy) from killing each other again in 20 years (believe it or not it’s hard to go to war with your trading partner). Taken together they are the core institutions responsible for the relative safety of the entire western hemisphere in the wake of WW2.