Moscow: As the war in Ukraine drags on, Russia marked its annual Victory Day with a grand military parade in Moscow’s Red Square, featuring a high-profile international guests.
Among the most notable attendees were Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, underlining Moscow’s strengthening ties with non-Western powers. However, the most surprising presence came from within the European Union: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was the only leader from the 27-member bloc to attend, drawing sharp criticism from EU officials.
Fico, known for his opposition to EU policy on Ukraine, dismissed warnings from the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, stating defiantly, “Nobody can order me where to go or not to go.” His attendance raised eyebrows in Brussels, especially amid ongoing tensions over the EU’s unified stance on the Russian invasion.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also made a controversial appearance, his first visit to Russia since the 2022 invasion. Despite Brussels cautioning that ties with Moscow could hinder Serbia's EU membership aspirations, Vučić met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who held bilateral talks with both him and Fico on Friday.
Putin also welcomed leaders from other longstanding Russian allies, including the presidents of Cuba and Venezuela. The Russian and Venezuelan delegations signed a new strategic partnership agreement, signaling deepened cooperation between the two sanctioned nations.
Other attendees included leaders from Vietnam, Burkina Faso, and several post-Soviet states. The event was also marked by a rare sighting of senior North Korean military officials, with Putin embracing one of them after the parade. North Korea recently acknowledged for the first time that its troops were fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine—a claim Putin publicly praised last month.
Victory Day, commemorated on May 9, remains Russia’s most significant public holiday. For President Putin, the elaborate display serves as both a domestic morale booster and a calculated demonstration of Russia’s continued relevance on the world stage—despite widespread condemnation and global sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine.
Putin used his speech to commend Russian troops for their efforts in Ukraine, declaring pride in their “courage, determination, and spiritual strength,” which he said had always led Russia to victory.
