Russian President Vladimir Putin led a large-scale Victory Day parade in Moscow’s Red Square, standing alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and other allied world leaders. The event marked the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany and was designed to demonstrate that Russia remains globally connected despite ongoing sanctions and diplomatic pressure from the West.
Thousands of troops and an expanded display of Russian weaponry, including drones and tanks, filled Red Square, with over 11,000 soldiers participating. For the first time since the war in Ukraine began in 2022, international leaders from Brazil, Egypt, Serbia, Venezuela, the Palestinian Authority, and Slovakia were present. This year’s guest list was significantly larger than in recent years, when only a few post-Soviet allies attended.
The traditional black-and-orange Saint George ribbon was widely visible, although it has become a controversial symbol due to its association with Russian military actions in Ukraine.
While Moscow celebrated, Ukraine and its allies held events in Lviv, where European leaders gathered to support efforts to establish a war crimes tribunal to investigate Russia’s invasion.
Putin announced a three-day ceasefire around the May 9 anniversary, but Ukraine dismissed it as a political stunt. Ukrainian officials said Russia had already violated the ceasefire multiple times with deadly airstrikes on civilian areas.
Despite heightened tensions, the parade went ahead, although Ukrainian drone strikes earlier in the week forced the temporary closure of Moscow’s airports. Several European countries, including Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, blocked airspace access for pro-Kremlin delegations, complicating travel for some leaders.