Military parade in Moscow for Victory Day: present Xi Jinping, lula and leaders of allied countries of Russia. The United States and almost all European leaders are absent
The traditional military parade of Victory Day took place in Moscow, one of the most important celebrations for the Kremlin, in memory of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. An increasingly central event in Vladimir Putin’s political narrative, which continues to use it to strengthen its internal consent and justify the war in Ukraine with distorted references to Nazism.
The parade was held in an atmosphere of strong tension: Moscow was recently affected by Ukrainian drones in repeated attacks, which forced the temporary closure of different airports. To try to guarantee the safety of the event, Russia has unilaterally announced the defined fire “humanitarian”, rejected by Kyiv and defined by Zelensky a “staging”.
Despite the tensions, at least 29 foreign leaders participated in the ceremony, according to reports from the Russian media. The most awaited was the Chinese president Xi Jinping, who arrived in Moscow to sign a series of bilateral agreements that strengthen the axis between China and Russia. It is the second official visit of Xi to the country, confirming a partnership that worries the West more and more: Beijing is in fact the main provider of double use goods intended for the Russian war industry.
Also present was Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who took advantage of the occasion to meet Putin and relaunch his role as a mediator in the war in Ukraine, after having proposed – together with China – a peace plan rejected by Kyiv.
On the other hand, almost all European leaders are absent. The only representative of an EU member country was the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, flanked by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. All the other leaders of the Union have again deserted the event, as well as the United States, despite the recent attempt by President Trump to restart diplomatic relations with Moscow.
According to the Russian state media, the heads of state or government of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Equistorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzistan, Laos, Mryanmar, Palestine, were also present. Tagikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. Also present were representatives of North Korea and the separatist republics of Abkhazia and Ossezia del Sud.
The parade was attended by foreign troops from 13 countries: among these, China, Belarus, Egypt, Laos, Mongolia and several former Soviet republics of Central Asia.
As a further confirmation of the concerns for security, the Russian authorities have imposed restrictions on the mobile network in Moscow and in other regions, motivating them with the presence of “dangerous neighbors” and the arrival of foreign delegations.
