RUSSIA PERSPECTIVE

Moscow fully embraces coercive diplomacy as a political instrument. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova framed the warning to foreign missions in Kyiv as military necessity: if Ukraine carries out its 'criminal terrorist plans' on May 9, a retaliatory strike on Kyiv targeting decision-making centers will be 'inevitable.' TASS faithfully compiled Zakharova's briefing, denouncing Zelensky's 'lies' about a ceasefire he allegedly declared without ever ordering his forces to comply. Russia presents itself as the sincere initiator of a May 8-9 truce backed by Donald Trump during his April 29 call with Putin. Moscow accuses Zelensky of seeking to dishonor the memory of anti-Nazi fighters by threatening a sacred parade. Moscow Times, more critical, notes that the international community reads this diplomatic intimidation as an attempt to symbolically shield the parade rather than a genuine desire for peace. Russian accusations extend to Germany — Berlin's ban on Soviet symbols on May 8-9 was called a 'personal disgrace' for Friedrich Merz by Zakharova — and Austria, which expelled three Russian diplomats. The Kremlin's rhetoric builds a coherent narrative: Zelensky is a regime leader indifferent to his people's history, left unchecked by the West to threaten Europe's commemorative peace.