Russian President Vladimir Putin's much-anticipated Victory Day speech in Moscow on Monday did not include an announcement of victory in Ukraine or any declarations of further troop mobilizations.

The Russian leader spoke for about 10 minutes at a military parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, using his time at the podium to defend Russia's military action in Ukraine and blaming the West for creating "threats" at Russia's doorstep. He also accused NATO of refusing to engage in dialogue with Russia before the Feb. 24 invasion.

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“I address the servicemen of Donbas. You are fighting for your motherland, for its future, so no one will forget the lessons of the Second World War,” Putin told the crowd in Moscow's Red Square, linking the war in Ukraine to World War II.

"Today, you are defending what your grandfathers and great-grandfathers fought for. ... Our duty is to do everything so that the horror of a global war does not happen again," Putin continued.

The Russian leader took time in his speech to justify his decision to invade Ukraine, saying the offensive was necessary because the West was creating "threats next to our borders" and "preparing for the invasion of our land."

He also accused NATO members of ignoring the Kremlin's attempts at engaging in dialogue before the war.

"NATO countries did not want to hear us," Putin said, adding, "They had very different plans, and we could see that."

"Russia gave a preemptive rebuff to aggression — it was a forced and sovereign decision," he said.

Putin observed a minute of silence at the podium to honor Russian soldiers killed in action in Ukraine.

After his speech, Putin sat with Russian military officials and veterans to watch the display of tanks, soldiers, and other Russian military equipment.

In his own Victory Day message, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "very soon, there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine."

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"We are fighting for our children's freedom, and therefore we will win," Zelensky said in a video message.

"We will never forget what our ancestors did in World War II, which killed more than 8 million Ukrainians. Very soon, there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine. And someone won't have any."

"We won then. We will win now. Happy Victory Over Nazism Day," Zelensky's message concluded.