Which Foreign Leaders Will Attend the Victory Parade in Moscow?
The Victory Parade in Moscow is gradually turning into a private event rather than a grand display of Russia's military power as it once was.
At the upcoming parade on May 9, there will be no military equipment or cadets, which the Kremlin explains as due to the "current operational situation," and the number of guests is expected to be minimal.
Among those who will attend the parade are only two international leaders: Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith and Malaysia's Sultan Ibrahim.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will come to Moscow but plans to skip the parade to convey messages from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russian occupation authorities from Abkhazia and South Ossetia are also expected to attend, while Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko will, as always, be in attendance.
A delegation from the Republika Srpska, including former president Milorad Dodik, will also be present at the event.
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The Kremlin claims that no invitations were sent to foreign leaders and that guests came "of their own accord."
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will not attend the parade, citing his election campaign, which has angered Moscow.
Due to the absence of foreign leaders and military equipment, the Kremlin has decided to restrict access for foreign media to the event, citing a "change in format."
In the lead-up to the holiday, Russia has issued a series of threats to Ukraine and European countries, calling for the evacuation of diplomatic staff from Kyiv.
Despite the threats, foreign governments do not plan to reduce their presence in Ukraine, and Volodymyr Zelensky noted that some countries had requested to be informed of their officials' plans to attend the parade.
