Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is set to host the leaders of China, Brazil and other heads of states for festivities on Friday marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Victory Day, which is celebrated in Russia on May 9, has become the country’s most important secular holiday. A massive parade through Red Square and other ceremonies underline Moscow’s efforts to project its power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the 3-year-old war in Ukraine.
“For Putin, this day is important as a demonstration how broad a coalition backing Russia is,” said political analyst Nikolai Petrov.
The lineup of leaders coming to Moscow this year contrasts sharply to some past celebrations that drew top Western leaders at a time of friendlier ties between Russia and the West.
The festivities have been overshadowed by reports of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Moscow and severe disruptions at all four of the capital’s airports, with dozens of flights delayed or canceled, stranding hundreds of passengers.
Tightened security around the celebrations also led to restrictions on cellphone Internet service and reports of outages. Banks and taxi firms have preemptively warned customers about disruption to services over the holidays due to unstable Internet access, and some shops and supermarkets have restricted deliveries due to potential network problems.
The guest list reflects Moscow’s priorities
Putin described Chinese President Xi Jinping as “our main guest” at the Victory Day festivities when he discussed preparations for his visit with China’s foreign minister. The Russian leader noted that he and Xi are to discuss both bilateral and global issues at their summit in Moscow.
Xi arrived Wednesday for a four-day visit. Putin’s foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov has said they would discuss trade and Russia’s supply of oil and gas to China, as well as cooperation within BRICS — the bloc of developing economies that initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa but has since expanded to more countries.
Putin and Xi have met over 40 times and developed strong personal ties to bolster their “strategic partnership” as they both face soaring tensions with the West.
China has offered robust diplomatic support to Moscow after the 2022 invasion and has emerged as a top market for Russian oil and gas, helping fill the Kremlin’s war coffers. Russia also has relied on China as the main source of machinery and electronics to keep its military machine running after Western sanctions curtailed high-tech supplies.
While Beijing hasn’t provided weapons to use in Ukraine, it has backed the Kremlin diplomatically, blaming the West for threatening Russia’s security. China also condemned Western sanctions against Moscow.
Russia, in turn, has consistently voiced support for Beijing on issues related to Taiwan.
Last month, Ukraine reported capturing two Chinese soldiers who were fighting for Russia and claimed there were over 150 others deployed alongside Moscow’s forces. Beijing disavowed official involvement, saying it told its citizens not to enter foreign conflicts. Reports suggested the men were mercenaries answering advertisements.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Mod i, another top ally whom Putin has courted, had been expected in Moscow but he canceled his trip amid tensions with Pakistan after an attack in which gunmen opened fire on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir.
India, which has had persistent tensions with China, watched the growing Russia-China relationship with unease but sought to maintain close ties with Moscow. Russia is a major defense supplier for India, and New Delhi’s importance as a key trading partner for Moscow has grown since the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine. Just like China, India has become a key buyer of Russian oil.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also arrived Wednesday, his first official trip to Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine. He twice visited Russia during his previous tenure as president in 2003-10.
Other signs of global support for the Kremlin
Other guests include Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has openly challenged the European Union’s policies over Ukraine. Fico has shrugged off warnings from the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, against visiting Moscow, defiantly saying, “nobody can order me where to go or not to go.”
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic made his first trip to Russia since the invasion, despite EU pressure that visiting Moscow could derail Serbia’s ambitions to join the bloc. He arrived in Moscow on Wednesday after falling ill last week on a trip to the US, which raised questions about his attendance. The Kremlin said Putin will have bilateral meetings with him and Fico on Friday.
Petrov said attendance by European countries despite EU pressure demonstrates “that the Kremlin isn’t just in any sort of isolation but has quite powerful support not only in the Global South but also in the West.”
Putin met Wednesday with the leaders of Cuba and Venezuela, who also came to Moscow. He and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro signed an agreement on strategic partnership and cooperation.
The leaders of Vietnam and Burkina-Faso, plus presidents of several former Soviet nations, also were expected.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the guest list reflects the importance of the holiday and “shows that Russia not only has allies, but a large number of countries that feel close to the spirit of our ideology and world vision.”
Ushakov said Tuesday that leaders of more than two dozen countries are expected, and Putin will hold more than 15 bilateral meetings. The Kremlin also invited US Ambassador Lynne Tracy, although “whether she will be present at the parade, we will see on May 9,” Ushakov said. The State Department didn’t confirm whether any US officials would attend.
Ushakov said Wednesday the presidents of Laos and Azerbaijan weren’t coming after all. Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith fell ill with COVID-19, Ushakov told Russia’s Life news outlet, and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who the Kremlin said in March had accepted an invitation, had to attend events at home.
Relations between Moscow and Baku cooled after an Azerbaijani airliner crashed in Kazakhstan in December, killing 38 of 67 people aboard. Aliyev said it was shot down over Russia, albeit unintentionally, and rendered uncontrollable by electronic warfare. He accused Russia of trying to “hush up” the incident for several days. Putin apologized to Aliyev for what he called a “tragic incident” but stopped short of acknowledging responsibility.
Aliyev hasn’t attended the Moscow parade since 2015, the Russian daily Vedomosti reported.
Past celebrations featured top Western leaders
When Russia’s ties with the West blossomed after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, many Western leaders attended Victory Day celebrations. In 1995, US President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister John Major and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien were among the guests.
US President George W. Bush attended the 2005 Victory Day parade along with the leaders of France, Germany and other heads of states, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel was on Red Square for the 2010 parade.
Ties with the West were badly strained after Russia’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow backed a separatist insurgency. Western leaders stopped coming to the event.
US President Donald Trump, who this year upended Washington’s policy of isolating Russia over the war, hasn’t ruled out visiting Moscow someday, but will not be attending on Friday.