Speaking at the 75-year anniversary of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin is pushing for increased unity among Russians and a push to boost Russian military combat readiness, citing "aggressive actions close to our borders" by NATO.

Putin talked of the need to pay special attention to NATO's "aggressive rhetoric," and to prepare to ensure that Russia retains a defensive capability in the even of any incursions.

Putin's talk of "NATO aggression," ironically, is the result of NATO operations which themselves were couched as a response to "Russian aggression," meaning the two sides are both building up the area in Eastern Europe and both accusing the other of an aggressive plot.