Putin on Russia Day urges citizens to stand united, build on 'deep feelings of patriotism'

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the countrymen on the 30th Russia Day on Sunday. Addressing the Russians amid the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war, the Kremlin leader stressed that the nation must remain united and build on “deep feelings of patriotism”, RIA Novosti reported. This comes as Russia has remained mainly isolated from the international community following the invasion of Ukraine. In wake of this, Putin in his opening statement commended Russia Day as a reflection of how "important" it was for the people of Russia to "be united".  

Speaking at the Kremlin, Putin highlighted that the importance of patriotism was “as clear as ever”. He even hailed Russia's 18th-century tsar -- Peter the Great, to whom he compared himself recently. Calling him a “great reformer”, the Russian President paid homage to his “profound transformations” and appealed to Russians to recognise the strength of century-old traditions.

“Our ancestors gifted us this unity, our loyalty to the motherland, and a responsibility for its future,” he said.

“We know the strength of these century-old traditions, moral values, and spiritual foundations, which have reaffirmed themselves throughout the entirety of our multi-ethnic nation’s thousand years of history, bringing us together today," he added.

On the occasion, the Russian President handed state awards to employees in the domains of culture, art, science, as well as technology in the Kremlin. Putin bestowed the 'Hero of Labour' medal to film director Nikita Mikhalkov and conductor Yuri Bashmet, among others. 

It is to mention that Russia celebrates Russia Day to mark the formal adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation on 12 June 1990. The day has been celebrated for three decades.

Kim Jong-un wished Moscow on their national day

In addition to this, on Russia Day, the supreme leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un sent a special message to Russian President Putin. "Russian people have achieved great successes in accomplishing their goal," he stated while praising Putin's "special military operation." As per the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the North Korean leader congratulated the Russian Federation's "people-friendly government" and residents on their national day. 

According to the message, Russia was successful in achieving its aim because it understood how to preserve its nation's dignity and security. In addition, Kim Jong-Un justified any "possible reasons" that may be used to justify the "ruthless war" against Ukrainians. The Korean people offer their complete support and encouragement to the citizens of Moscow, the message further reads. 

Hundreds rally against Putin in US on Russia Day

Hundreds of protesters in at least eight cities in the US, including New York, Chicago, Portland, Washington, and Philadelphia carried out anti-war protests to deplore Russian President Putin's "unprovoked" invasion of Ukraine. According to Ukrinform, protestors carried posters and chanted anti-war slogans..."War is evil, No to violence..." they wrote. They also drew parallels between Putin and Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics wished Russia "defeat" in the Ukraine war. He urged Russia in a satirical greeting, saying to abandon its "imperial ambitions" and accept contemporary civilization.  

Meanwhile, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Jolie denounced the visit of Yasemin Heinbecker, deputy protocol chief in Canada's global affairs department, to the Russian embassy on Russia Day, alongside representatives from Egypt, Pakistan, and some African countries. In a tweet, she called the visit "unacceptable" and added “no Canadian representative should have attended the event hosted at the Russian embassy and no Canadian representative will attend this kind of event again."

 (Image: AP)