“An exhibition full of contradictions”: how the West reacted to the Russian display of trophy equipment
6 May 2024 18:56
On the occasion of Victory Day, which is celebrated in Russia on 9 May, an open-air exhibition of trophy vehicles that the Russians managed to destroy or take away from the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the battlefield was held in Moscow. The exhibition caused a great deal of excitement among city residents and did not go unnoticed in the West. After all, it consisted, among other things, of Western equipment and weapons.
The exhibition reportedly featured more than 30 weapons from 12 countries. The Russians were apparently trying to show the power of their army, which is fighting NATO and the West in general in Ukraine and is winning.
In particular, the Russians showed American Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and howitzers, British Husky and Mastiff armoured vehicles, and the German Leopard 2.
But Western observers were not too impressed.
The Washington Post pointed out how this year’s Russian May 9 celebrations differed from last year’s, when the Russian army had no particular achievements on the battlefield.
the “trophies”, including an American M1 main battle tank, were surrounded by dozens of red flags with the words “Victory!” It was an exhibition full of contradictions: there was a triumphant jubilation that Russia had captured Western military equipment, although propagandists mocked its quality, as if capturing it was no problem.
For some reason, Russia is convinced that a few dozen pieces of Western equipment will not only make the locals happy, but will deeply disturb the West. For example, the American Abrams tank is not a “miracle weapon” for Russians, but the US, in their opinion, should be very uncomfortable with this trophy being displayed in Moscow.
“There is also a political context here: here it is, this vehicle in the centre of Moscow, bowing to Russian soil. An American tank in the centre of Moscow on May Day is not what [the enemy] would like to see there. Especially when our most important holiday, Victory Day, is approaching,”
– said one of the event’s guides.
Instead, the West clearly understands that the main purpose of the exhibition was to show the difference in Russian achievements on the battlefield in 2022 and 2023.
“It seems that the exhibition is partly intended to convey to Russians the difference between May 2023, when Russian troops suffered successive retreats and setbacks, and the present. Last year’s abbreviated parade featured only one World War II-era T-34 tank. Since then, Russia has been ramping up its military production, preventing Ukraine’s breakthrough to its southern coast during a counteroffensive last year and making progress,”
– writes The Washington Post.
A BBC observer emphasises that the Russian authorities are trying to show that the war in Ukraine and World War II have a common denominator. Russia is supposed to be a victim who is being attacked by its enemies. In reality, the two wars are very different. After all, in 2022, it was Russia that invaded Ukraine.
“For the Russian authorities, this exhibition fulfils several key objectives. The first is to reinforce the Kremlin’s narrative that in Ukraine, NATO – and the West as a whole – is waging a war against Russia. The goal here is to further demonise the West in the minds of Russians. In reality, Russia invaded Ukraine: Western leaders urged Moscow not to do so. It was a personal decision by President Vladimir Putin…”
– writes columnist Steve Rosenberg.
He hastened to assure Russians that although the West has come to Kyiv’s defence, it is not seeking to destroy Russia, as Russian officials claim.
And only analyst Alex Kokcharov voiced a point that was absolutely obvious to all Ukrainians in X:
“Stop saying that this is ‘Putin’s war’. Unfortunately, this is Russia’s war”.
