Two presidential speeches were given on May 9, otherwise known as Victory Day. Both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskiy drew parallels between the past and present wars. But while Putin accused the West of “rewriting history” against the looming backdrop of the Red Square Parade, Zelenskiy simply urged his allies to continue “fighting for our freedom”. As Sweden and Finland stand poised to apply for NATO membership, will they abandon their neutrality policy and heed to Zelenskiy’s call? We also consider the intervention question in the Sahel, where Macron’s Mali withdrawal has prompted debates about Europe’s military future. Turning to China, we consider Europe’s strategy for navigating the new Sino-US “Cold war”. Zooming into Beijing’s domestic politics, we look at the (human) cost of the world’s strictest lockdowns. Finally, we examine the role of faith in a military setting, and how individual and organizational values can best align.