Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire and the exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side. The request for the temporary ceasefire came from Russia to commemorate the Allied victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Ukraine demands a permanent ceasefire, which Russia refuses to accept without a formal peace deal.

Vladimir Putin announced the ceasefire ahead of Victory Day, celebrated annually on May 9. The day symbolises sacrifice, resistance against fascism, military strength, and national resolve.

To put things in perspective, an estimated 75 million people died in World War II. Out of this, about 26 million were from the Soviet Union. In other words, one-third of all deaths in the war were from the Soviet Union. Within the Soviet Union, around 5.7 million military casualties were ethnic Russians, while 1.3 million were ethnic Ukrainians. It also wiped out a significant portion of the younger population.

The Great Patriotic War, the term used for World War II in Russia, occupies a foundational space in its historical memory. Ukraine is an equal inheritor of this legacy. However, in its attempt to distinguish itself from the Soviet Union and Russia, it focuses on its own sacrifices against the Nazis. Aligning........

© Indian Express