As Europe marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, the solemn remembrances are underscored by a growing anxiety over the continent’s security.
The commemorations, centered in London and featuring military parades, aerial displays and appearances by King Charles III and Ukrainian troops, do more than honor the past — they reflect a deep unease about the present and future.
The symbolic inclusion of Ukrainian forces marching alongside NATO troops is hard to miss. While V-E Day recalls the triumph over fascism in 1945, Europe now finds itself grappling with a new threat to the postwar order: Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s announcement that Ukraine expects to receive more than 3 million artillery shells from allies in 2025 — including 1.8 million through a Czech-led initiative — underscores Kyiv’s reliance on continued Western support. It also reflects the scale and persistence of the war, which shows no signs of de-escalation.
The V-E Day tributes occur in parallel with mounting pressure on Europe to respond more decisively to the security vacuum exposed by the war. The EU’s “Readiness 2030” plan, which proposes an €800 billion investment in defense infrastructure, aims to reduce Europe’s long-standing dependency on U.S. protection. Still, logistic limitations, underfunded militaries and domestic political hesitation continue to hinder rapid force mobilization.
Meanwhile, European capitals remain on alert for unconventional threats. A recent exposé detailed a Russian sabotage campaign that used mail parcels rigged with explosives — shipped under the guise of everyday items, such as sex toys and cosmetics — to target pro-Ukraine voices and infrastructure. These covert operations, which often rely on socially vulnerable proxies, illustrate the blurred lines between espionage, terrorism and statecraft in today’s conflicts.
At the same time, Russia’s leadership sends mixed messages. President Vladimir Putin recently claimed in a state documentary that nuclear weapons are unnecessary to achieve victory in Ukraine. Yet, his public musings on succession and veiled warnings to NATO signal a regime increasingly embattled, both externally and internally.
Against this backdrop, V-E Day 2025 serves as more than a memorial — it is a mirror. The hard-won peace of 1945 is no longer a guarantee. The legacy of that victory imposes a new responsibility: to defend the security architecture it built. Europe’s ability to meet that challenge will define the next chapter of its history.
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