**Russia’s Victory Day Parade: Leaders Absent, but Foreign Delegations to March**
This year’s Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9 will have a few notable absentees. Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and Laotian leader Thongloun Sisoulith will not be attending the event, according to state-controlled news agency TASS.
The Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov was cited by TASS as saying that both leaders would miss the parade. Their absence comes as Russia prepares for one of its biggest national events, commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. The annual event is a key part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s propaganda efforts to justify its aggression against what the Kremlin falsely describes as “Nazis” in Ukraine.
**Who Will Attend?**
Despite the no-shows, some foreign leaders are expected to participate in the parade. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has arrived in Moscow and will hold a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, according to Blic newspaper. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has also landed in the Russian capital, TASS said.
Other world leaders set to attend are those from Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Palestine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Representatives from North Korea and Russian-controlled Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as defense ministers from 31 countries, will also be present.
**International Participation**
A number of countries are contributing troops to the parade. Military personnel from 13 countries – Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Egypt, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam – are expected to march through Moscow.
Russia’s announcement of a unilateral Victory Day ceasefire on April 28 has raised eyebrows. The so-called “humanitarian” truce, which will run from midnight on May 8 to midnight on May 11, is seen by many as an attempt to ease Russia’s diplomatic isolation and create a secure backdrop for the parade.
**Experts Question Credibility of Ceasefire**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the offer as a “theatrical performance” aimed at easing Russia’s diplomatic isolation. Experts have echoed his concerns, telling the Kyiv Independent that Moscow’s unilateral declaration does not meet the criteria of a legitimate ceasefire, which typically requires mutual agreement, clear terms, and monitoring mechanisms.
In conclusion, while some foreign leaders will attend Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, others are notable absentees. The legitimacy of Russia’s unilateral ceasefire has been questioned by experts and Ukrainian officials alike. As the world watches this spectacle, it remains to be seen how effective Putin’s propaganda efforts will be in justifying his country’s actions.
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