Addressing troops and military hardware assembled on Moscow’s Red Square for commemorations marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, Putin linked Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine to what the Kremlin has repeatedly described as a struggle against Western influence and military expansion.

“The great feat of the generation of victors inspires the soldiers carrying out the goals of the special military operation today,” Putin said, using Moscow’s official terminology for the war in Ukraine.“They are confronting an aggressive force armed and supported by the entire NATO bloc.

And despite this, our heroes move forward,” he added.Putin also said he believed Russia’s military campaign was justified, declaring: “I firmly believe that our cause is just.”The remarks came during Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations, one of the country’s most important patriotic events, which the Kremlin has increasingly used to rally domestic support for the war in Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022.

Russia has repeatedly accused NATO and Western governments of escalating the conflict through military assistance, intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries to Ukraine. NATO members have said their support is aimed at helping Ukraine defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russia’s invasion.

The war has reshaped European security dynamics, prompting increased defense spending across NATO states and the expansion of the alliance with the accession of Finland and Sweden.

Victory Day ceremonies in Moscow have taken on heightened political significance since the start of the conflict, with Russian authorities portraying the war as part of a historic struggle against external threats and Western pressure.

The move follows a diplomatic clash between Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who questioned Washington’s strategy in the two-month-old conflict with Iran and said this week that he saw no clear U.S. exit plan. Merz also said Iran was humiliating the United States in negotiations to end the war.

A senior Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration viewed the German leader’s remarks as “inappropriate and unhelpful,” adding that Trump was “rightly reacting to these counterproductive remarks.”Germany hosts about 35,000 active-duty U.S. military personnel, more than any other country in Europe, making it a central hub for American operations on the continent and in the Middle East.

The Pentagon said the drawdown would reduce U.S. troop levels in Europe to roughly their pre-2022 level, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted the administration of former President Joe Biden to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank.

The official said the decision also reflected the Trump administration’s broader push for Europe to take primary responsibility for its own defense, a long-standing demand by the president toward NATO allies he believes rely too heavily on U.S. military protection.Reuters reported last week that an internal Pentagon email outlined options to penalize NATO allies seen as failing to support U.S. operations during the Iran conflict.

Those options reportedly included suspending Spain from NATO and reviewing Washington’s stance on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands.Trump has repeatedly criticized European allies for not deploying naval support to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for global oil supplies that has faced severe disruption during the conflict.

The near closure of the waterway has contributed to market volatility and major supply concerns across global energy markets.German officials, however, said Berlin had provided significant logistical support, including authorizing the use of U.S. military bases and overflight permissions for operations linked to the conflict.

Germany also hosts the major U.S. military hospital at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, a critical medical hub for American forces overseas.As part of the drawdown, a brigade combat team currently stationed in Germany will be withdrawn, and a long-range fires battalion planned for deployment later this year under the Biden administration will no longer be sent, the Pentagon official said.

Trump had sought a similar troop reduction during the final months of his first term, but the plan was never implemented after he lost the 2020 election and Biden reversed the proposal.Germany’s military officials told Reuters they were surprised by Trump’s latest announcement, saying meetings at the Pentagon earlier this week had been constructive.

Richard Horne, who leads the NCSC, part of Britain’s GCHQ, is expected to warn in a speech at the CyberUK conference that the country is navigating “the most seismic geopolitical shift in modern history,” according to remarks released in advance.

Horne will say the agency is handling around four “nationally significant” cyber incidents each week. While criminal activity such as ransomware remains the most frequent threat, he will emphasize that the most severe risks originate from state-linked operations.

He is expected to caution that British businesses must prepare for large-scale cyberattacks in the event of a broader international conflict, noting that such incidents could disrupt operations in ways that cannot be mitigated through payments, unlike some ransomware attacks.

Western officials have increasingly linked cyber operations to wider geopolitical conflict following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to data tracked by the Associated Press, more than 155 incidents including cyberattacks, sabotage and espionage have been attributed to Russia or its proxies since early 2022.

Authorities across Europe have reported similar threats. Governments in Sweden, Poland, Denmark and Norway have warned of cyberattacks targeting infrastructure such as power plants, dams and water systems, with several incidents attributed to actors linked to Russian intelligence services.

Horne will describe China’s cyber capabilities as highly sophisticated, while warning that Iran is likely using cyber tools to target individuals in the UK perceived as threats to its government.

He will also highlight what he calls “sustained Russian hybrid activity” extending beyond the battlefield into Europe.

The warning echoes remarks made in December by Blaise Metreweli, head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, who said the global security environment is more contested than at any point in recent decades.

The Metropolitan Police said no injuries were reported in the early-morning attack in Golders Green, but the blaze destroyed the vehicles, triggered explosions from onboard oxygen cylinders and damaged nearby homes, prompting evacuations.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said detectives were pursuing multiple lines of inquiry, including an online claim of responsibility by a group identifying itself as Harakat Ashab Al-Yamin Al-Islamia, which has previously claimed attacks in Europe.

“We are pursuing all lines of inquiry, including an online claim of responsibility by an Islamist group who have claimed other attacks across Europe and have potential Iranian state links,” Rowley said, adding that it was too early to attribute the incident directly to any state actor.

Police said three suspects seen in security footage carrying a canister near the ambulances are being sought, though no arrests have been made.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as “horrific” and met Jewish community representatives at Downing Street to discuss the response.“Antisemitism has no place in our society and it’s really important that we all stand together at a moment like this,” Starmer said.

Religious leaders also condemned the attack, with Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis calling it a “sickening assault,” while Anglican leader Sarah Mullally said such violence had no place in society.

The ambulances belonged to Hatzola Northwest, a volunteer emergency response organization serving the local Jewish community. The London Fire Brigade said explosions from oxygen cylinders shattered windows in nearby buildings.

The attack has heightened concerns within Britain’s Jewish population, estimated at around 300,000, amid a broader rise in antisemitic incidents. The Community Security Trust has reported a sharp increase in such cases in recent years following the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza.

Police said additional security would be deployed around Jewish schools, synagogues and community centers ahead of the Passover holiday next month.