Putin vows to firmly defend Russian interests

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday vowed that Russia will "firmly" defend national interests and denounced the return of "Russophobia", as the country marked the 76th anniversary of victory in World War II. In his speech at Red Square in Moscow, Putin said that the Soviet people kept their sacred oath, defended the homeland, and freed the countries of Europe from the black plague. "Russia consistently defends international law. At the same time, we will firmly defend our national interests to ensure the safety of our people," Putin said.The Russian leader also denounced what he called a creeping return of ideologies of the time, when "slogans of racial and national superiority, of anti-semitism and Russophobia, became ever more cynical". Victory Day parades, which only became an annual event after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, also took place Sunday in dozens of cities across the nation. During Putin's two decades in power, the public holiday has taken on increasing importance in projecting Russia's renewed military might. The commemorations of the 76th anniversary of the 1945 victory come as tensions with the West have reached near Cold War times in recent weeks.