The Russian leader has lauded his country's contribution to the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II

President Vladimir Putin has described Russia as a nation of winners, praising the country's role in the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

The Russian leader made the remarks on Wednesday at the Znanie.First educational marathon in Moscow, held ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in 1945.

Putin emphasized the sacrifices made by all Soviet republics during the war, with a particular focus on Russia's contribution.

"For victory, no one spared themselves," he said. "Russia, due to its scale, of course made the greatest contribution to this victory. It gave the most - its sons and daughters who died defending the motherland and our common future."

Putin added that nations defeated in the war are now trying to lecture Russia and "distort the truth." However, he insisted that Russia is "without a doubt, a nation of winners" and continues to stand its ground.

"When I say 'nation', I mean all the peoples, all the ethnic groups of the former Soviet Union, and of course, of Russia," Putin said.

Moscow views the victory over Nazi Germany as a profound symbol of national resilience, as the USSR lost an estimated 26.6 million lives during the war. For this year's commemoration, the Russian government has extended multiple invitations, including to the leaders of China, India, and Brazil, as well as numerous other international leaders.

Russia will celebrate the anniversary of the Soviet Union's defeat of fascism and hold its annual Victory Day parade on Red Square on May 9. More than 20 foreign leaders are expected to attend, including Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned the leaders of the bloc's candidate countries against attending Russia's celebrations. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned Kallas' comments as tantamount to a revival of Nazism.